Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2020
314. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the recent grants to support cultural activities during Covid-19 have catered to the needs of the events sector that does not own premises; and if she has had discussions with the sector regarding its plight. [38342/20]
View answer327. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if supports will be made available such as an adaption of the live events fund of €50 million to event management companies that due to the nature of their business and not having a physical premises have been unable to avail of the Covid restrictions support scheme and the industry is at serious issue of collapse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38797/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 327 together.
Earlier in the month I announced the recipients of a pilot Live Performance Support Scheme to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters to plan live performances across the country over the coming months, with a total of 59 organisations benefiting from the scheme. The main objective of the scheme is to provide employment opportunities in the live performance sector while also complying with public health protection measures. Grants ranged from €10,000 to €400,000. The funds will support a variety of live events planned including concerts, pantomimes, theatre productions, festivals, outdoor performances and comedy events.
In many cases, parts of grants to promoters and producers of live events would be used to hire from services from SME event companies such as those supplying sound and lighting technical expertise.
The following eligibility and criteria applied to this pilot scheme :
- Established commercial producers and promoters that create live performances and have a proven record of accomplishment in the live performance sector
- Proven track record of live performances undertaken in the past 3 years (2017-2019),
- Planning to hold a live performance event that will commence in 2020,
- Provide three years of financial accounts (from 2016),
- The applicant must be tax compliant,
- Not ordinarily funded by the public sector since 2017 (excluding Covid-19 supports),
- One application will be considered, initially, for each project promoter.
The scheme was heavily oversubscribed with over 100 applications seeking funding of over €16m for events which would be staged in the lead up to and during the 2020 festive period.
This was a pilot scheme and it was the first of its kind which was developed following consultation with the sector. The operation of this scheme will inform any future similar schemes. The Department is engaging with successful and unsuccessful applicants to assess the operation of the scheme in 2020 with a view to informing future schemes. It is expected that a scheme of this kind will be provided in 2021 as part of a suite of measures to be funded from the €50 million announced as part of Budget 2021.
