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Arts Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020

Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Ceisteanna (345)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

345. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht her plans to address the crisis in the arts and cultural sector relating to the lack of work, rehearsal and performance space; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21098/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Government has announced its intention to prepare and publish a Roadmap for Resilience and Recovery later this month. This will map how we balance public health, economic and social aspects of living with COVID-19 in the short to medium term and try to bring some greater certainty so that society and business can plan forward. The needs of the arts and culture sector will form part of this Roadmap.

I along with the Arts Council, recently had a meeting with the Minister for Health, the Acting Chief Medical Officer and the National Campaign for the Arts. It was agreed at that meeting that the arts sector could provide input which would inform a way forward for a safe return to live performances and activities.

The July stimulus measures are a significant part of government’s response and will help support Ireland's arts community over this crisis. These include:-

- A new €10 million Culture Fund, which will include increased funding for Creative Ireland, to employ artists, funding to support the commissioning of artists to produce creative content for the national broadcast artists, funding to support commissioning as well as a dedicated fund for musicians across a range of genres.

- Over the coming weeks, I hope to launch a new pilot scheme for live performance events to support the live performance sector which will be worth €5m.

- Additional funding to the Arts Council brings its total allocation this year to €105 – some 40% higher than in 2019. A key objective of this funding is to provide enhanced support for freelance artists and arts workers who have been impacted severely by COVID-19.

- Since the advent of the crisis, officials in my Department have also been actively engaging with the arts sector and will continue to meet with arts and cultural organisations under its aegis, as well a broad range of sectoral stakeholders including resource organisations, advocacy groups as well as individual artists and arts practices.

- Separate support packages have been put in place for the other elements of culture including the audio-visual sector and the National Cultural Institutions

Other wider Government measures include liquidity and investment measures and taxation measures as well as labour market interventions

The new Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme will benefit arts organisations and artists across this sector. Many of these organisations availed of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme which allowed them to retain arts workers in employment since March.

The Programme for Government also commits to establishing a cross departmental taskforce to develop a clear approach, informed by the views of all stakeholders, to protect and sustain the arts and culture sector through the COVID-19 recovery and beyond, which in turn will inform the National Economic Plan. This taskforce will be established shortly.

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