Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Questions (76)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

76. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the requirement for a VAT exclusive turnover of €100,000 for at least two of the past three years for eligibility to the Live Performance Support Scheme for seasonal musical theatre/pantomime means a turnover of €100,000 total sum of the turnover for two years, or €100,000 turnover separately for each of those two years amounting to €200,000 overall; and the reason the year 2020 rather than 2017 is included in the three years given that indoor live performances of seasonal musical theatre or pantomime were entirely prohibited for 2020 by health restrictions. [62023/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

On 8th December 2021 I announced adjustments to the Live Performance Support Scheme – Strand II for pantomimes and seasonal productions to respond to the additional COVID-19 restrictions announced after the scheme opened. The published Guidelines now reflect those changes.

The key changes to the scheme from the original Guidelines as published on 24th November 2021 are:

- The minimum turnover requirement is reduced to €100,000 from €300,000 to facilitate more commercial productions to submit applications;

- An increase in the fund available from €2m to €5m;

- The application window has been extended to 31st January 2022.

- This scheme will now encompass relevant eligible production costs from November 2021 to the end of January 2022.

In order to be eligible for the scheme a business must have VAT-exclusive turnover of €100,000 or above as a result of seasonal musical theatre/pantomime for at least two of the past 3 years (2018-2020) in order to be considered. I can confirm that the reduced minimum turnover requirement of €100,000 refers to each of the previous years being outlined in the application.

Each applicant is requested for details in relation to 2 of the 3 years 2018 - 2020, rather than for 2 specified years, to provide flexibility and for those productions to select 2 years that best demonstrate the eligibility criteria for their application.