Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 April 2021
46. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is working on a roadmap for either the return or phased return of the various of strands of the light entertainment industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20960/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 - The Path Ahead plan sets out the Government’s objectives for the full recovery of social life, public services and the economy. The plan committed to the development of sectoral guidance for very large purpose built event facilities, for example: stadia, auditoriums, conference or event centres. I established the Live Entertainment Working Group to facilitate stakeholder consultation and develop COVID-19 Guidelines for the Live Entertainment sector. The Group includes stakeholders from across the live entertainment sector as well and those with appropriate technical knowledge in the planning, management and delivery of events. The Group will produce a set of overarching guiding principles that all venue promotors can adopt for their specific purposes. It is chaired by my Department and had its first meeting on 21 April 2021.
The Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland have already entered into a strategic partnership to develop guidance for the safe presentation of festivals and live events. This document is currently at the consultation stage and is due to be published shortly.
While the timeframe for the resumption of entertainment events remains uncertain and, is dependent on public health considerations, it is critical that a set of COVID-19 guidelines is developed and ready in advance of the re-opening of the sector.
