Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
334. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps being taken to support the return of live performances and events in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21183/21]
View answerWe all aspire to a safe resumption of live performance which is so fundamental to the arts, culture and entertainment sectors. I am engaged directly and through my Department with stakeholders and colleagues across Government to prepare for such a resumption when public health considerations permit. In the interim, my Department operates a range of sector specific supports in addition to a broad range of horizontal supports. These include the €25m Live Performance Support Scheme. Applications made under this scheme are currently being assessed.
The Government’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead plan sets out the Government’s objectives for the full recovery of social life, public services and the economy. The plan committed to the development of sectoral guidance for very large purpose built event facilities, for example: stadia, auditoria, conference and event centres. I established a Working Group to facilitate stakeholder consultation on the development of COVID-19 Guidelines for the Live Entertainment sector. This group had its first meeting on 21 April 2021. The Live Entertainment Working Group includes stakeholders with appropriate technical knowledge in the planning, management and delivery of events and it will produce a set of overarching guiding principles which all venue promoters can adopt for their specific purposes.
In addition, the Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland entered into a strategic partnership in order to develop guidance for the safe presentation of festivals and live events. This document is currently at the consultation stage and is due to be published in the coming weeks.
While the timeframe for the resumption of entertainment events remains uncertain and, is dependent on public health considerations, it is critical that a set of COVID-19 guidelines is developed and ready in advance of any re-opening of the sector.
