Written Answers Nos. 281-300
281. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding and support that has been provided to the National Folklore Commission in each of the past ten years. [23832/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Folklore Commission has been granted funding in the amount of €1,631,212 between 2012 and 2020 under my Department's Scéimeanna Tacaíochta Gaeilge for the development and maintenance of the duchas.ie website. An amount of €231,785 has been approved for 2021.
A breakdown of the funding between 2012 and 2021 is outlined in the following table:
|
National Folklore Commission |
|
|
Funding provided (€) |
|
|
2012 |
40,354 |
|
2013 |
147,624 |
|
2014 |
216,565 |
|
2015 |
286,421 |
|
2016 |
258,821 |
|
2017 |
152,000 |
|
2018 |
100,893 |
|
2019 |
202,343 |
|
2020 |
226,191 |
|
2021 |
231,785* |
*amount approved for 2021
282. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she has developed the specific guidance with the relevant sectors as promised in the Living with Covid Plan published on 15 September 2020 to take account of size and different conditions of very large purpose built event facilities for holding organised indoor and outdoor gatherings and larger events as foreseen under levels 1 and 2 of the Plan; if not, the reason; and when the specific guidance will be developed. [23858/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra283. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of the date, time and participants of all meetings held between her Department and the relevant sectors to develop the specific guidance for organised indoor and outdoor gatherings and larger events as promised in the Living with Covid Plan published on 15 September 2020. [23859/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra285. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the membership and terms of reference of the Return to Live Entertainment Working Group;and the details of the time, date and minutes of any of the meetings of the group. [23861/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra290. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when children involved in elite sports will be able to train indoors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24001/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSubject to the prevailing public health situation, the Government has recently decided that individual indoor training for all age groups and all levels may resume from the 7th of June. The Government will make further decisions in due course in regard to further lifting of restrictions on activity indoors.
A limited exemption is currently in place to enable high performance sportspeople to continue their sporting activities, indoors and outdoors, principally focused on allowing our high performance athletes and teams to qualify and prepare effectively for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The applicable definition is that contained in the relevant public health regulations, namely those athletes that:
- are in receipt of financial support provided by Sport Ireland under the scheme commonly known and referred to as the Sport Ireland International Carding Scheme
- compete at a senior level and are participants in a high performance training programme of the national governing body of the sport, which body receives, from Sport Ireland, financial support commonly known and referred to as the Sport Ireland High Performance Programme Funding
- are professional sportspersons who receive payment for training and playing sport under a contract of employment with a soccer club or the rugby football organisation commonly known and referred to as the Irish Rugby Football Union
- are members of an inter-county team, at senior level, in a competition organised by the organisations commonly known and referred to as the Gaelic Athletic Association, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association or the Camogie Association
Additionally, Sport Ireland may, in consultation the Health Service Executive, provide certification to additional High Performance or Pathway athletes. These are athletes that represent or have the potential to represent Ireland at an internationally competitive level.
Any athlete seeking certification under these legislative provisions should in the first instance apply to their National Governing Body. Sport Ireland assesses each application in accordance with the provisions and criteria set out in the above-mentioned Regulations.
291. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the estimated cost of delivering One Good Coach, conducted by Sport Ireland to all sporting organisations affiliated to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24047/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOne Good Coach is an evidence-informed mental health promotion workshop designed specifically for coaches and adult club members who coach young people in sport settings. The aim of the workshop is to provide adults with the knowledge and confidence to promote and support young people’s mental health in their coaching role.
To date, Jigsaw has delivered 120 One Good Coach workshops to a wide breadth of coaches in communities across Ireland. Given the success of the workshop in communities, One Good Coach was converted to an online workshop in 2018 to reach a wider national audience. Jigsaw partnered with the GAA’s Healthy Club Project to pilot the online workshop in 2019 and to date over 300 GAA coaches have completed the workshop.
One Good Coach is currently being rolled out with a range of sporting bodies, including the IRFU, Swim Ireland, Basketball Ireland and the FAI, reaching thousands of coaches across the country.
I understand from Sport Ireland that the initial pilot programme is currently being evaluated and that the next steps and estimated costs of the roll-out will be determined by the outcome of the evaluation.
292. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the progress made to date on the proposal for a three-year pilot scheme of a universal income for artists, writers and musicians; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24069/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra298. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of a universal basic income pilot scheme endorsed by the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce in November 2020; the proposed timeline for commencement of the pilot scheme; the proposed criteria for participation in the pilot scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24189/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 292 and 298 together.
The Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce report titled Life Worth Living, was published in November 2020 and made ten recommendations for the sector. The recommendations included a proposal to pilot a universal basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual and live performance and events sectors. The Taskforce was of the view that a pilot basic income would keep the sector intact, minimising the loss of skills and contributing to its gradual regrowth, with ongoing benefits: social and economic, local and national.
I believe the arts sector represents an appropriate area for a pilot basic income scheme for many reasons. It is characterised by low, precarious and often seasonal income. Artistic and creative work is intrinsically valuable to society; it includes a broad mix of employment types. This is an exciting proposal and has been the subject of positive commentary both nationally and internationally. We can now work to see how it can be enhanced.
I have established an Oversight Group with the remit of addressing the outstanding recommendations of Life Worth Living. The membership of the Group is drawn from departments and agencies which have the ability and wherewithal to make appropriate progress on the outstanding recommendations, and to whom recommendations of the Taskforce are addressed.
The Oversight Group is being chaired by my Department joined by representatives of the Departments of Finance, Social Protection, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Public Expenditure and Reform as well as Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The Directors of the Arts Council and Screen Ireland are also members and they will be joined by a representative of the County and City Managers Association.
I have asked the Oversight Group to prioritise the examination of Recommendation 1, a basic income for artists. I have engaged with relevant Ministerial colleagues on this matter and they have indicated their support for developing proposals. This would be independent of the work of the Low Pay Commission which has been tasked by my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to examine the Programme for Government commitment to pilot a Universal Basic Income within the lifetime of this Government commitment. I intend therefore to proceed with the development of proposals for a basic income for artists as a matter of priority.
Separately, the Programme for Government contained a commitment to request the Low Pay Commission to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has requested the Low Pay Commission to examine the commitment in the Programme for Government and the Commission has agreed that this request will form part of its workplan for 2021. The terms of reference for the study on Universal Basic Income are currently being finalised by the Commission and research is due to begin shortly.
293. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding allocated by her Department or agencies under her remit to An Taisce in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the expected respective allocations to An Taisce for 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24113/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised that neither my Department nor the agencies under its remit allocated funding to An Taisce during the years in question and that there are currently no proposals Department to allocate funds to An Taisce in 2021. As the Deputy will be aware, the Heritage function is now the responsibility my colleague the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government.
294. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of the expected restrictions on outdoor festivals throughout the summer months; and the number of persons that will be allowed to attend such festivals in the coming months. [24158/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra295. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the details of attendance at drive-in events; if such events are currently proceeding; and if there is a limit on the number of cars which will be allowed. [24159/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra302. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if dancing and performing arts are now included in the guidelines for sports for the duration of Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24349/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 294, 295 and 302 together.
The 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 Government has decided to move ahead with this The Path Ahead plan as we are now in the early stages of the recovery phase of the pandemic. The decision is based on advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), that a cautious and gradual phased reopening over May and June, with an emphasis on outdoor activity and a moderate increase in social contact, can be considered low to medium risk. NPHET has advised that there is scope to ease a range of public health measures in this manner with sufficient time between any easing of measures to assess the impact. This allows us to continue through the Recovery phase, focusing on what is safest and generates the most benefit and with a focus on outdoors activities – both social and economic.
The guidance on dance and sports are identical under the different levels of the Plan. Festivals and the performing arts are included with organised indoor and outdoor events. The Path Ahead framework sets out when it is considered that organised indoor or outdoor events can take place. From 10 May 2021 organised outdoor gatherings with a maximum attendance of 15 people can take place.
Drive-in events are not permitted at this time.
A number of other activities will be considered at the end of June for later in the year including:
- indoor hospitality (restaurants, bars, nightclubs, casinos)
- indoor team/group sports including matches, training and exercise classes
- mass gatherings/events (including spectators) indoors and outdoors
Work is continuing on other issues in preparation for the coming months including plans to hold a limited number of pilot live events for arts, culture, sport and live entertainment (indoor and outdoor). This will inform the safe reopening of these activities and events when the public health situation allows.
I established the Return to 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 Live Entertainment Working Group includes stakeholders with appropriate technical knowledge in the planning, management and delivery of events and is will produce a set of overarching guiding principles which all venue promotors can adopt for their specific purposes.
While the timeframe for the resumption of entertainment events including festivals 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.
The Arts Council and Fáilte Ireland entered into a strategic partnership in order 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 in the coming weeks. The Arts Council are also working with my Department and Theatre Forum on progressing guidance for the safe reopening of theatres and art centres.
296. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €50 million allocated to live events in Budget 2021 that has already been distributed to artists or event organisers; and when and the way in which the remaining allocation will reach artists and event organisers. [24178/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecently, I was pleased to allocate €50 million to a suite of measures to assist the live performance sector. €25m has been allocated to Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS 2021) which has now closed for applications. Over 400 applications had been received by the closing date of 14 April. Assessment of applications to the scheme is underway and the results will be announced shortly. LPSS 2021 builds on the successful pilot Live Performance Support Scheme in 2020, which provided thousands of days of employment to hundreds of musicians, actors, crew and technicians in tandem with a pipeline of high quality on-line much needed entertainment for Irish audiences. The 2021 scheme is aimed at supporting employment and wellbeing opportunities across all genres and the continued production of high quality artistic output for the public.
An allocation of €14m is being made available for the Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) to make a contribution to the overheads of businesses, specifically musicians and related crew, that have been significantly negatively affected by COVID-19 and that do not qualify for other business supports. The main features of this new scheme will see support offered by way of two levels of flat payments:
- €2,500 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €20,000 - €100,000;
- €5,000 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover in excess of €100,000.
Under the scheme, businesses including musicians, singers, lighting and sound crew and audio equipment suppliers - whether sole traders, partnerships or incorporated entities - operating exclusively within the commercial live entertainment sector will be eligible to apply. This scheme has been developed following wide consultation with the sector. Administrative arrangements for this scheme are being finalised and it is hoped that it will open for applications this month.
An allocation of €5 million will be made available to local authorities for live performances in summer 2021 to animate town centres, should public health considerations permit. This will allow for the procurement by local authorities of performances by local performers. Performances can be recorded or streamed if health restrictions prevent live events. This funding will be allocated shortly.
€5 million will also be made available for a scheme of capital supports for the commercial live entertainment sector.
Up to €1 million was allocated to the St Patrick's Festival 2021 for programming and it supported over 3,500 days of employment for performers, producers, artists, technicians, creatives and support staff. With gatherings still restricted, SPF 2021 curated a rich and dynamic programme of events involving hundreds of artists, musicians, performers, creators, and community organisations which was broadcast on the St. Patrick’s Festival TV online channel marking the national day.
297. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán ar labhair sé go fóill leis an Aire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe chun a chinntiú go mbeidh cumas sa Ghaeilge sonraithe i dtreoirlínte faoi chomhaltaí boird Stáit, mar a gheall sé ag Roghchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobail Labhartha na Gaeilge an 9 Márta 2021; ar scríobh sé go fóill go dtí na Ranna eile ag impí orthu cumas sa Ghaeilge a chur san áireamh mar scil le tabhairt san áireamh do chomhaltas boird Stáit a thagann faoina scáth; agus aon fhreagra a fuair sé uathu a roinnt leis an Teachta seo. [24179/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMar a gheall mé ag Céim an Choiste do Bhille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2019, tá iarrtha agam ar oifigigh no Roinne na treoirlínte a eisíonn an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe maidir le baill bord Stáit a phlé leis an Roinn sin. Chuige sin, tá iarrtha agam ar mo chuid oifigigh cruinniú a shocrú leis na hoifigigh cuí sa Roinn sin agus tuigtear dom go bhfuil socruithe á ndéanamh idir an dá Roinn maidir le cruinniú a eagrú.
Agus an cheist seo pléite ag mo Roinn leis an Roinn Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe , bheadh i gceist agam scríobh chuig na Ranna Stáit eile maidir le chomhaltas bord Stáit ag eascairt as na comhráití a tharlóidh ag an gcruinniú úd.
Anuas air sin agus i gcomhthéacs na hoibre ar an mBille nua, shíl mé go mbeadh sé tráthúil ag an bpointe ama seo a mheabhrú do gach comhlacht poiblí faoi na dualgais dhíreacha i leith sheirbhísí trí Ghaeilge atá orthu faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 agus faoi Rialacháin ghaolmhara eile a rinneadh ó achtaíodh é.
Sa chomhthéacs sin, ar 16ú Márta 2021, scríóbh An tAire Martin agus mé fhéin chuig gach Aire Rialtais chun a n-aird a dhíriú go sonrach ar na dualgais sin. Iarraidh orthu a chinntiú go ngníomhódh a gcuid Ranna de réir na riachtanas éigeantach seo agus an méid seo a mheabhrú do na comhlachtaí poiblí ábharthacha atá faoi chúram a Ranna chomh maith.
299. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media her engagements with the HSE and or the Minister for Health in respect of vaccinating qualified Irish Olympic athletes ahead of the Olympic Games. [24218/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not had any meetings with the HSE or the Minister for Health in respect of vaccinating qualified Irish Olympic athletes ahead of the Olympic Games. As the Deputy may be aware, Pfizer announced last week that they intend to donate doses of COVID-19’s vaccinations to Olympic Games participants around the world. I met with the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland last Friday where they updated me on this announcement by Pfizer. I am informed by the OFI and PI that these vaccinations will be supplementary to the existing allocations that Ireland is receiving and will be provided to Olympic and Paralympic athletes and support staff who are travelling to Tokyo to represent Ireland.
300. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the position regarding Gaeltacht Irish courses for summer 2021 for Gaeltacht households, colleges and families (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24278/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn Friday last, I announced the outcome of the extensive consultation process undertaken with the Irish Language Summer Colleges sector over the past few weeks.
During the consultation process, a representative group of Gaeltacht households who provide accommodation for students, as well as course operators expressed significant concerns around health and safety, due to COVID-19, were courses to proceed.
On foot of the feedback received and the concerns expressed, a decision has been taken not to proceed with recognised Irish courses this summer.
I understand that this will be disappointing for many young people who were looking forward to attending this year.
I am also conscious of the economic consequences of the decision for Gaeltacht communities. For this reason, officials from my Department will continue to engage with the sector over the coming weeks with a view to progressing an appropriate stabilisation package, thus ensuring that the sector is put on a sound footing for a full and safe return in 2022 and beyond.
