Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
1298. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department will organise and fund a series of small scale events in line with public health guidelines and physical distancing across heritage sites to provide work for Irish artists in order to showcase Irish art; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9596/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Department recently supported the Other Voices Courage programme, which included a number of performances at national cultural institutions, as part of a range of measures to support personal and collective well being.
More generally, the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society & Business, published on 1 May 2020, sets out an indicative path to the easing of COVID 19 restrictions and other actions in order to facilitate the reopening Ireland’s society and economy in a phased manner. The Roadmap specifies that decisions in relation to which actions will be taken and which public health measures might be lifted will be made in accordance with the Framework for Future Decision-Making.
I understand that heritage site managers such as the OPW are being guided by the Roadmap and the National Return to Work Safely Protocol in making assessments, adopting procedures and practices on heritage sites to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures. The Protocol is available at https://dbei.gov.ie/en/Publications/Return-to-Work-Safely-Protocol.html .
In the context of the Deputy’s Question, additional factors have to be considered such as the profile and type of event involved, its relevance to the site, as well as its impacts on protected heritage properties.
