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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022

Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Questions (6)

Holly Cairns

Question:

6. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the steps she is taking to support the live performance sector. [32415/22]

View answer

Oral answers (6 contributions)

The Minister will be very aware of the main challenges faced by the arts, culture and live entertainment industry across the pandemic. While the live performance sector welcomed her support, a major issue is the rate at which funds are being distributed to venues. Will the Minister outline her actions to ensure the timely distribution of these supports as quickly as possible to prevent the permanent closure of some venues?

The Deputy asked about the steps I am taking to support the live performance sector. In 2021, my Department paid out grants of almost €54 million to support the live entertainment sector and drive employment opportunities for artists and crews, through the following schemes. There was €25 million for the live performance support scheme, LPSS; €13.7 million for the events sector Covid support scheme; €8.8 million for the local live performance support scheme; €3.1 million for the music and entertainment support scheme; €1.7 million for the commercial entertainment capital grant scheme; and €880,000 for the St. Patrick's Festival.

Following budget 2022, I announced details of another €50 million suite of measures to support the live performance sector in 2022. That has provided for the LPSS 2, which supported pantomimes and seasonal musical theatre impacted by the Covid restrictions in December and January, and under which €2.9 million has been offered. The LPSS 3 supported events due to be staged in December and January that were curtailed, cancelled or rescheduled due to the Covid restrictions. Grants of €9.5 million have been offered under LPSS 3. The live performance restart grant scheme, LPRGS, is supporting the live entertainment sector by providing businesses with restart grants to derisk the planning of events across spring and summer of 2022 and to assist with the costs of reopening. Grants of €14.7 million have been offered under the LPRGS. There was also €1 million for the St. Patrick’s Festival.

The music and entertainment business assistance scheme, MEBAS, provided grants as a targeted support for self-employed performers and sole traders operating solely in the live entertainment sector. Some €2.8 million has been allocated under MEBAS 2022. The local live public performance scheme phase 3 has provided €5 million for local authorities to stage live events until the end of June. I have recently allocated a further €5 million to local authorities to provide for live events until Hallowe'en. Grants of €1.7 million have been provided under the 2022 commercial entertainment capital grant scheme, which assisted with the capital costs associated with reopening after closures due to the pandemic.

To date, grants of almost €42.6 million have been allocated. None of the live performance schemes has been oversubscribed and there has been sufficient funding available to provide grants to all eligible applicants.

I thank the Minister for her response. What I am hearing from venues in west Cork is that there is an interconnected importance between the amounts being received and the timing. Crucially, there is a misalignment between the demands of the sector and the manner in which the Department operates. When I raised this issue last May, there were also cases of venues not receiving funding they were promised for pantomimes in December. Venues have to plan months in advance. Any schemes designed to buffer against uncertainty and additional costs need to reflect that reality. This not only affects the venues but performers, crews and equipment providers. There are knock-on effects for so many people. The delay in the allocation of promised funding is an additional source of stress and frustration. People in the sector need to have this funding in their bank accounts as soon as possible.

Will the Minister also clarify whether there is a date by which the live performance restart grant schemes have to be spent? I think it was originally cited as June, which is obviously unfeasible at this stage.

Venues are a critical part of the landscape of musicians and bands, and music venues in west Cork are among the most high profile in the country. I am pleased a number of venues in that part of Cork were among the grantees under the live entertainment schemes operated by my Department, including the iconic De Barra's, Shanley's bar, Levis's in Ballydehob and Connolly's of Leap.

In regard to any delay, all requests for payment are being processed and the Department is supporting any grantees who have outstanding information to submit it. Payment continues to issue on a rolling basis as grantees submit their documentation and payment requests, and all payment requests and requests for information are being addressed without delay. Once an application has been deemed eligible and a grant offer made, a service level agreement, SLA, issues to the grantee along with further information on the drawdown procedures and notice of the feedback required on conclusion of the activity the grant supports. Once the signed SLA and payment request have been returned along with other necessary supporting documentation, the payment request is examined and, if all is in order, payment is made. From time to time, further information may be required or vital documents may not have been included with the payment request. In that instance, the Department will contact the grantee and provide assistance with what is needed. That can cause a delay in payment, but as soon as all the necessary documents are there, it will be processed.

I thank the Minister. Will she clarify whether there is a new date by which the grant has to be spent? She will be aware the sector, as well as other arts venues and the wider hospitality sector, is experiencing increasing costs. Local employers in particular in these sectors are highlighting with me rising energy and insurance expenses, and I am sure she is hearing the same from all the venues she cited, given she seems well aware of many of the ones in west Cork. Just as these businesses are beginning to recover from the pandemic, they face those rising costs as well. While these issues are not directly under the Minister's portfolio, they are a major concern for everyone in the arts and hospitality sectors.

Will she outline her engagement, if there has been any so far, with other Ministers regarding the rising costs for these sectors? Is she considering any schemes to assist small and medium businesses in arts and tourism?

I referred to the LPRGS, which is supporting the live entertainment sector by providing those businesses with restart grants to derisk the planning of events in the spring and summer, and I hope that will assist with the costs of reopening. As I said, €14.7 million has been offered under the LPRGS. I can revert to the Deputy with information on the date. That is no problem.

Much of this funding related to Covid supports. We will keep everything under review as we enter the budgetary process and see Covid numbers rise. It may be that some funding could be allocated, but that will all depend on where we are with Covid. We keep in close contact with the sector at all times, and that is why we were able to design schemes that worked for it. That will continue and, as I said, we will monitor the situation.

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