Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
289. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the budgetary analysis being carried out to plan for long Covid-19 impacts in her Department and each State agency under the remit of her Department in tabular form. [4496/21]
View answerThe sectors under the aegis of my Department have been among the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic across our economy. In particular, the crisis has utterly changed the operating landscape for the Tourism, Sport, Arts and Culture, and Live Entertainment sectors.
In terms of economic impact, tourism is undoubtedly amongst Ireland’s most important indigenous economic sectors. It is a significant employer, supporting 260,000 jobs prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. It is estimated that 180,000 of those jobs are either lost or vulnerable. Fáilte Ireland estimate that some 40% of tourism businesses have closed.
Similarly, our arts, culture and live entertainment sectors have seen their businesses effectively closed since March of last year. This includes a range of sole-traders and small enterprises which are at the heart of communities across the country.
Across the Gaeltacht, businesses and communities alike have suffered a significant reduction in economic activity, job losses, a lack of tourism and educational visitors. Many businesses are also now facing the double-impact of Brexit, particularly in those Gaeltacht areas in the North Western region. In 2020, Údarás reported a net job reduction of 6% (481) in full-time jobs in the Gaeltacht, the majority of which relate to tourism and related sectors.
All sporting activities are also effectively suspended at this level of the Plan for living with COVID-19, other than some limited events being held behind closed doors. In addition to the wellbeing impacts of this suspension of activities, the pandemic continues to severely financially impair national governing bodies of sport, particularly those that depend on spectator revenue.
There has also been an impact on the broadcasting sector, with declining commercial revenues as a consequence of the crisis. I have engaged directly with this sector and measures have been introduced to support broadcasting across radio and television platforms.
Officials from my Department have been in regular communication with the bodies in these sectors and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the devastating and unprecedented impact of COVID-19 and my colleague, Minister of State Chambers and I continue to engage in this ongoing process. Efforts have centred around how best to stabilise sectors and ensure their future viability. This has resulted in the provision of additional gross funding of just over €200 million in 2020 compared to 2019 and further additional gross funding of almost €79 million in 2021 compared to 2020. The detailed breakout of this for the Department and the bodies under the aegis of the Department is published in the Revised Estimates volume for 2020 www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/#2020 and the Revised Estimates volume for 2021 www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/#2021.
The position as we begin to emerge from COVID-19 restrictions in 2021 will continue to be monitored closely to ensure the sectors for which I have responsibility are supported at this difficult time. In addition to a range of bespoke measures that I have introduced to support these sectors, the provision of horizontal supports of the PUP, EWSS and CRSS are essential short term supports for the survival of these sectors.
I am also working with stakeholders to support recovery and enhance resilience in our tourism, hospitality and arts and culture sectors. I have published two recovery task force reports and will continue to support the sectors as we move from pandemic to recovery.
