Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht asks Government to prioritise strengthened supports for arts and entertainment industry

Committee Chair Deputy Niamh Smyth has written to An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, following agreement on the matter at a private meeting of the Committee on Wednesday, 17 February.

Deputy Smyth said: “The Committee noted that a commitment to implement a pilot universal basic income scheme is outlined in the Programme for Government and such a scheme has been recommended for the arts sector by the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce.

“We believe that plans to deliver an innovate support scheme for artists, musicians and those working in the creative industries should be expedited as part of the National Economic Plan. Such an initiative could be an innovative way of supporting the long-term development of the creative sector in Ireland.”

Deputy Smyth said that while the Committee is acutely aware that supports have been provided to artists over the course of the pandemic, the sector has been devastated by Covid-19.

“The Committee believes that creativity and artistic endeavour should be seen as integral to the development of the economy and society as a whole as we move forward from this Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

The letter to the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Martin said the Committee would welcome an update on any plans to include such a scheme in the National Economic Plan, as well as further details concerning the timeframe and means by which the issue could be considered by the Low Pay Commission.

Deputy Smyth added: “The Committee may choose to schedule meetings to further examine the question of universal basic income or a living wage for those working in the arts sector. We would also ask that Government provide immediate hardship funding to arts and entertainment workers and to provide a business supports grant scheme for small and medium enterprises in the events industry that are excluded from the Covid-19 Restrictions Support Scheme.”

The Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.