Written Answers Nos. 141-152
141. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the measures in place to meet labour supply and skills requirements in the tourism sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2503/22]
View answerRecruitment continues to be a significant challenge for the tourism and hospitality sectors, with up to two-thirds of businesses reporting reduced capacity due to staff shortages. My Department and Fáilte Ireland have been collaborating with industry and other Government Departments to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to addressing the labour and skills shortages.
Fáilte Ireland has recently conducted its most comprehensive research to date on the tourism and hospitality labour market. This robust and wide-ranging research programme covers the views of 1,000 employers and 3,500 workers with tourism and hospitality experience as well as international benchmarking, a review of education provision and consultation with recruitment agencies. This research is shaping Fáilte Ireland’s work programmes for the year ahead which will focus on:
- Supporting recruitment to drive recovery: to provide support to the industry to address the immediate labour and skills supply challenges, which will be critical to the short-medium term recovery of the sector.
- Supporting the long-term repositioning of the industry: to support businesses and the wider industry to work together to drive the long-term repositioning of the industry as an appealing and rewarding career choice and workplace, and ensure a future pipeline of talent.
- Building employee capability and skills: to build the capability of individual employees to help businesses to bridge the skills gaps they are experiencing and also drive greater employee retention by improving the quality of training across the business.
Fáilte Ireland also chairs the Tourism and Hospitality Careers Oversight Group (COG) which will continue to work closely with industry bodies, education providers and other Government bodies to support sustainable employment in the tourism sector with an immediate focus on recruitment and retention initiatives, as well as focusing on the long-term repositioning of the industry as a career choice.
Officials from my Department participate in the Interdepartmental Group on Work Permits chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Most recently the work of the Group resulted in up to 350 work permits being granted for managerial positions in certain tourism and hospitality businesses. Earlier this year my Department also successfully advocated for the prioritisation of chef permit applications.
I have also recently worked with Minister Donohoe on the extension of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme. I will continue to engage with and provide support to the tourism sector through these challenging times.
142. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status for 2022 of the privately-operated venues fund under recommendation 9 of the report Life Worth Living by the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce. [2570/22]
View answerEarlier this month, I published the Life Worth Living – Oversight Group Implementation Progress Report that gives a detailed account of the progress in implementing the recommendations of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce. The Report covers the period up to and including December 2021. It is available at this link: www.gov.ie/en/news/e7f78-latest-updates-from-the-arts-and-culture-recovery-taskforce/ .
Recommendation No 9 of the Report has been implemented through the Outdoor Public Space Scheme and the Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme.
The Outdoor Public Space Scheme was introduced to help local authorities open up and create public spaces and facilities dedicated to the arts, culture and festivals. The scheme was developed in consultation with the County and City Management Association and with input from Fáilte Ireland.
Projects must demonstrate how they will support the night-time economy. Each local authority can apply for up to €250,000. To date, 18 local authorities have been awarded funding of more than €4.4 million. Local authorities are encouraged to prioritise place-making projects that support cultural endeavour and enable safe social activity. Private businesses with large spaces/buildings will be incentivised to invest in the creative activation of these spaces for public enjoyment.
Under the Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme, a total of 88 grants of up to €25,000 each have been awarded to venues, performance facilities and private sector classes throughout the country for Covid adaptation improvements, including ventilation. These grants were paid out last month.
In addition, as part of the Government's €50m package of supports for the live entertainment sector which I announced in December, there is a further €5m available in capital funding this year for adaptation grants for commercial venues.
145. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the engagement she has had with an organisation (details supplied) with regard to the current state of women’s rugby; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2339/22]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to his question (No. 437) on this matter dated Wednesday 19 January and to my detailed reply to Question No. 5 today.
As outlined in my reply to the Deputy yesterday, on Friday 10 December Minister Martin and I received a letter from a group of current and former female international rugby players in which they highlighted a number of concerns regarding the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and its ongoing reviews into the Rugby World Cup 2021 qualification campaign and the Women in Rugby Action Plan.
While the key responsibility for the ongoing development and improvement of rugby in Ireland rests with the IRFU as the National Governing Body for the sport, Minister Martin and I are of the view that it is important that the issues raised are addressed to ensure there is a positive future for women’s rugby in Ireland.
Minister Martin and I met with a representative group of the players on Monday 20 December at which meeting the players outlined their concerns in detail. We also met separately with the IRFU on the same day and raised with it the players’ concerns.
With the agreement of the players, we asked Sport Ireland to engage with the players to provide assistance and guidance to progress the issues of concern. Sport Ireland met with a group of player representatives on 23rd December and met with them again earlier this week.
Sport Ireland is currently working with the players and the IRFU and I understand that there is a geniune desire by all parties to address and resolve the issues. I am hopeful that the ongoing process will result in a positive outcome for women’s rugby.
I am also pleased to note the announcement made by the IRFU on 17 December confirming that it intends to fully publish the two independent reviews currently being undertaken.
146. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the measures that are being taken to mitigate the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19 restrictions on the tourism sector in County Cork; the steps she is taking to address the drop in UK visitor numbers in 2020 and 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2593/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the tourism sector has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so I was therefore pleased to secure a record level of funding for tourism in Budget 2022: €288.5 million in total, an increase of €67.5 million over the 2021 allocation. The allocation includes €50 million for business continuity supports and a €35 million increase to the Tourism Marketing Fund to support the delivery of a marketing strategy to help restore inbound tourism to Ireland. Due to the devastating impact of COVID-19, the impact of Brexit on our tourism sector may not become apparent for some time.
As part of its marketing strategy, Tourism Ireland has established a recovery framework entitled: RESTART, REBUILD and REDESIGN, which will be underpinned by an extensive programme of promotional activity throughout 2022. I was happy to help Tourism Ireland launch its new ‘Green Button’ marketing campaign in the UK recently where I engaged with our industry partners to reassure them that Ireland was open and waiting to welcome back visitors. Tourism Ireland strongly promotes Cork Airport and the Port of Cork, through initiatives like the Regional Cooperative Marketing Fund which seeks to encourage new access and maximise the potential of existing services to the region. Fáilte Ireland continues to work to further develop tourism in Cork in both the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East regional brand areas, and is involved in a wide variety of activity in both of these regional brand areas.
Fáilte Ireland recently announced indicative details of how the €50m funding provided in Budget 2022 for the Tourism Business Continuity Programme will be allocated to assist strategic tourism businesses to recover in 2022. Fáilte Ireland has designed the programme to support those still experiencing the most difficulty as a result of the pandemic. The phasing of the programme has been set out to make sure that support is provided quickest to the businesses that need it most urgently and taking into account other Government funding that has already been received. The Strategic Tourism Transport Business Continuity Scheme opened for applications on 11th January 2022 and the Strategic Ireland Based Inbound Agents Tourism Business Continuity Scheme opened for applications on 12th January. The Attractions and Activity Tourism Operators Business Continuity Scheme will launch on 8th March and the Tourism Accommodation Providers Business Continuity Scheme will launch on 9th March.
The Government recently agreed a number of changes to the major economy-wide support schemes available to businesses affected by the latest public health restrictions. Changes were made to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) and the tax debt warehousing scheme to expand the supports available to businesses affected.
The Tourism Recovery Oversight Group continue to report to me on a regular basis, with updates on the implementation of the recommendations set out in the Tourism Recovery Plan 2020 – 2023 and on the recovery of the sector. These reports continue to inform my thinking, and that of my colleagues in Government, with regard to ongoing measures to support the sector.
147. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the support available to businesses and performers under the live performance support scheme is sufficient given the ongoing restrictions on the night-time economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2299/22]
View answer195. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her plans to support a further round of the live performance support scheme in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2501/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 195 together.
In December I was pleased to announce details of a €50 million suite of measures to support the live performance sector in 2022. As part of this suite of supports and, building on the success and exceptional demand for the Live Performance Support Scheme 2021 (LPSS 2021), a further strand of this scheme called the LPSS 3 opened for applications on December 20th.
This scheme is to support events which were due to be staged in December 2021 and January 2022 and have been curtailed, cancelled or rescheduled due to the restrictions on audience capacity at live performances at 50% and a closing time of 8pm. The grants offered will cover up to 100% of eligible production costs incurred in December 2021 and January 2022, net of any box office or other revenue, up to a maximum grant of €500,000.Further information on LPSS 3 can be accessed on my department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/e3843-live-performance-support-scheme-phase-3-guidelines/. An online application system has been provided for ease of access.
In addition to LPSS 3, further supports will also be provided for the sector in 2022, including;
- Another strand of the Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS 4), to support performances being staged from February 2022 to June 2022. Further information, including guidelines for this scheme will be made available in the coming weeks.
- Another round of the MEBAS (Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme) scheme due to be announced shortly;
- €5m for Local Authorities to support local artists and performances through the LLPSS (Local Live Performance Support Scheme).
- €5m to continue the capital supports scheme (CECGS) to venues, including for ventilation upgrades and other COVID adaptations
- €1m for the Saint Patrick's Festival 2022
I am committed to supporting the live performance and nightclub sector as they journey through a difficult and unprecedented phase of business operations. I will continue to review the supports for the sector on an ongoing basis.
150. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán céard iad na céimeanna a ghlacfar chun a chinntiú go ndéanfar Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2019 a chur i bhfeidhm; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [2678/22]
View answerMar is eol don Teachta, tá Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021 sínithe ag Uachtarán na hÉireann, ón 22 Nollaig 2021.
Foráiltear sa reachtaíocht seo d’athchóiriú ó bhun a dhéanamh ar an mbealach a dhéanann muid pleanáil le haghaidh seirbhísí poiblí d’ardchaighdeán i nGaeilge a chur ar fáil do phobal labhartha na Gaeilge. Is togra fad-théarmach é seo a bhfuil sé mar chuid lárnach dó taighde cuimsitheach a dhéanamh agus Plean Náisiúnta a fhorbairt chun seirbhísí poiblí d’ardchaighdeán trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil. Bunófar Coiste Comhairleach reachtúil chuige sin agus déanfar tuairisciú chuig an Rialtas maidir leis an dul chun cinn ar bhonn bhliantúil. Leagtar síos spriocanna san Acht a thabharfaidh dúshláin dúinn uile sa Rialtas, ach go háirithe an sprioc go mbeidh 20 faoin gcéad d’earcaithe nua don státchóras inniúil sa Ghaeilge roimh dheireadh 2030. Tar éis foilsiú an Phlean Náisiúnta, beimid ag leagan síos sprioc ama faoina mbeidh gach seirbhís phoiblí sa Ghaeltacht á chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge – rud atá á éileamh ag pobail Ghaeltachta le blianta fada anuas.
Tá éirithe liom acmhainní breise a fháil o mo Roinn fhéin i mBuiséad 2022 ar mhaithe le dlús a chur le feidhmiú na reachtaíochta nua. Anuas air sin, tá acmhainní breise curtha ar fail agam d'Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga i mbliana chun córais monatóireachta na hoifige sin a threisiú.
Beidh mé ag dul i mbun oibre le teann dúthrachta le hoifigigh mo Roinne anois le feidhm a thabhairt d’fhorálacha an Achta leasaithe sa tréimhse romhainn agus muid sa bhliain úr. Chuige sin, tá oifigigh mo Roinne ag cur plean oibre i dtoll a chéile faoi láthair ina leagfar amach na céimeanna éagsúla a bheidh le tógáil sna míonna amach romhainn.
151. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her Department monitors developments in the media by which it would appear that social media has become dominant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2080/22]
View answerIn recognition of the importance of a sustainable Irish media sector, the Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, provided for the establishment of the Future of Media Commission, which was tasked with considering the future of print, broadcast, and online media in a platform agnostic fashion.
On 29 September 2020 the Government agreed the terms of reference and membership of the Future of Media Commission, chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, former President of Dublin City University. The Commission members included experts in public service media, independent journalism, social media, new technology platforms, media economics, culture, language, creative content, governance and international best practice.
One of the goals of the Commission was to identify what the experience has been for public service broadcasters, other broadcasters, print and online media at local, regional and national level in delivering public service aims, and the challenges created for these media by new global platforms and changing audience preferences in relation to how content is delivered.
The Commission engaged comprehensively with stakeholders, including broadcasters, journalists, publishers, regional media, social media companies and the wider public. The first phase of the Future of Media Commission public consultation resulted in over 800 written submissions from stakeholder groups and the general public, including social media and conventional media, on a wide range of themes.
At the end of January 2021, the Commission began a series of thematic dialogues through online webinars in which panels of experts explored key themes in more depth and answered follow-up questions from the virtual audience and the Commission members. It explored many topics, including the evolving role of social media.
The work of the Future of Media Commission has now been completed and their report has been submitted to An Taoiseach and myself for consideration. It will provide a basis for media and broadcasting policy in the coming years and An Taoiseach and I are carefully considering the contents of the wide-ranging report.
Following this, the report will be brought to Cabinet for further consideration and agreement on the next steps.
