Written Answers Nos. 239-268
240. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the recent relaxation of Covid-19 regulations now enables gyms and leisure centres to allow their members to avail of their changing rooms and shower facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47815/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the Government approved plan "COVID-19: Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting", a significant easing of the restrictions applicable to sport and organised activity occurred from the 20th of September. From this date, shower facilities & changing rooms can reopen with protective measures in place to mitigate risk in these settings. In this context, however, it is emphasised that the public health management of COVID-19 in Ireland is transitioning, in broad terms, from a focus on regulation and population wide restrictions to a focus on public health advice, personal judgement and personal protective behaviours.
Sport Ireland has issued guidance to the sports sector that outlines a range of important considerations and factors that should guide the usage of shower facilities and changing rooms. This guidance can be found at the link below:
www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2021-09/return-to-sport-guidance-september-2021-final.pdf
241. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if a dedicated helpline and email address will be created for business owners in the tourism hospitality industry to seek clarity on the permissibility of planned events in the context of public health advice during the pandemic. [47871/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraExtensive guidance is currently available on the Government website, www.gov.ie, and the associated sectoral guidelines for the tourism and hospitality sectors is available on the Fáilte Ireland website (www.failteireland.ie). This guidance, which has been developed in consultation with the sector, provides clear advice on whether or not it is appropriate to proceed with planned events. From 22 October, as set out in Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting, the Government hopes to be in a position to remove the majority of restrictions. In the circumstances, I have no plans to create a dedicated helpline or email address.
242. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of a Gaeltacht college (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47974/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn my recent visit to Clare, I got the opportunity to hear in general about development plans for the college to which the Deputy refers, which is recognised as one of seven residential summer colleges for the purposes of funding under my Department's Scéim na bhFoghlaoimeoirí Gaeilge.
I understand that the college authorities are in the process of undertaking a feasibility study with a view to making a formal application for capital funding under my Department's Clár Tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga.
I also understand that the college authority were in communication with a number of other potential funding organisations.
While my Department has not received a funding application to date, the Deputy may be assured that any such application for assistance under the aforementioned programme - encompassing a business plan which aligns with the requirements set out in the Public Spending Code - will receive careful consideration in the context of competing priorities and available resources.
The Deputy may also be assured that officials from my Department remain available to the college authorities if they require further guidance or advice in advancing matters.
244. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of Programme for Government commitments (details supplied); if they have been completed; if not, the timeline on their progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48001/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has 94 specific commitments under the Programme for Government. The Deputy has requested an update on 6 of these commitments.
The commitment in relation to funding for the national network of Comhairle na nÓg is under the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and is therefore outside the responsibility of my Department.
Work is ongoing on the commitment to encourage the next generation of young artists by creating new bursary schemes, this measure is particularly important to the recovery of the sector post-COVID. The Arts Council (funded by my Department) has responsibility for the operation of these Bursary schemes.
The Arts Council published a report on its response to the Covid-19 crisis for the arts in Ireland for 2020/2021. This report found that bursary schemes benefitted 2,294 artists with 50,207 employment days in 2020. The Arts Council has measured the employment impacts of a number of its funding schemes, which are designed to support the creation of artistic work. In certain cases, such as the Bursaries scheme the priority in 2020 was identified as artists seeking mentoring, leading to greater employment impacts generally. In 2021, the Government allocated €130m to the Arts Council which is an increase of 62% over the amount initially allocated for 2020.
With regard to the commitment to encourage and support Irish speaking communities outside the Gaeltacht and develop platforms to increase young people’s engagement with the Irish language (e.g. TG4, Raidió na Gaeltachta, RTÉ, Raidió Rí-Rá), the Irish Language Advisory Committee (ILAC) is examining how best to serve young audiences in the future relation The Irish Language Advisory Committee (ILAC), is jointly chaired by BAI and Foras na Gaeilge and aims to drive the implementation of the initiatives as set out in the BAI’s Irish Language Action Plan. It includes representatives of RTÉ, TG4, CRAOL, IBI, SPI, Oireachtas na Gaeilge and Raidió Rí-Rá.
ILAC is examining how best to serve young audiences in the future. It is researching demand among younger demographics for Irish language services, including the platforms they would be most likely to use, the likes/dislikes of the target audience in terms of language, genre and speaking/music ratio etc. It is expected that this research will be completed in Quarter 1 2022.
The Department is supporting the development and expansion of Irish language media and I was pleased to increase funding to TG4 by €3.5m in 2021.
My Department has also been funding Raidió Rí-Rá since its inception in 2008, under the Irish Language Support Schemes initiative with funding of €690,725 provided so far and funding of €75,000 approved by the Department for the station this year. It broadcasts online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides a roadshow to schools and youth clubs throughout the year.
Raidió Rí-Rá has 3 radio studios, the main one located in the offices of Conradh na Gaeilge in Dublin, and two new ones opened up at the end of 2019, one in Cork and one in Galway. Capital funding of €47,772 was also provided by the Department in 2020, which included funding for the development of Raidió Rí-Rá’s studios in Galway and Dublin, as well as the purchase of equipment for the station.
Progress of the following four commitments is linked to the progress of the Online Safety and Media Regulation (OSMR) Bill:
1. Require online platforms to set out the steps they will take to keep their users safe online and to build safety into the design of their platforms.
2. Ensure new Online Safety Codes can combat cyber bullying material and material promoting eating disorders, self-harm and suicide.
3. Promote positive digital citizenship among children and young people, in conjunction with Webwise and other educational partners, schools, as well as the Ombudsman for Children.
4. Develop a research programme led by internationally recognised experts to review the existing and developing literature in relation to: (a) the consequences, benefits and potential harms to society and children specifically of digital activity and (b) the concept of duty of care and the public interest in the design of online platforms.
The OSMR Bill provides for the establishment of a Media Commission which will regulate online safety, including the development of codes for online platforms. Detailed legal drafting by the Office of the Attorney General is nearing completion. Pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Bill by the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee is being finalised. Once completed (currently estimated for the end of October 2021) and considered, the OSMR Bill will be brought forward for publication and passage through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The intention is to have the Bill enacted as a priority.
245. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the plans in place or proposed to encourage members and players to return to sports following full reopening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47925/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnsuring and assisting the overall resumption capacity of the sports system is a key priority for Government and is the main driver for the considerable financial assistance which the Government is providing to the sporting sector.
As I recently confirmed to the Sport Monitoring Group, a new funding package will shortly be announced to provide financial support to the sporting sector in addition to the €26.3 million additional current funding already provided to Sport Ireland to support the sport sector in 2021. Sport Ireland will shortly arrange for the invitation of applications from NGBs and sports clubs with the aim of distributing this funding. In addition to these financial supports, which benefit young and old alike, I consider that a public information campaign emphasising the benefits of sport can also contribute to a comprehensive resumption to sporting activity. Sport Ireland started such a campaign yesterday under the title of “Let’s Get Back”. The campaign will run for the next five weeks and is aimed at encouraging members of the public that are anxious or unsure about returning to sport and physical activity that it is possible to do so in a safe and secure manner. The campaign will also collaborate with social media influencers and platforms to promote the message to the younger demographic.
The campaign will form the opening part of a wider winter initiative to get people back to sport and increase participation, with activities planned throughout the sports sector up to March 2022. The campaign will provide National Governing Bodies with a perfect platform to launch their Autumn and Winter Programmes.
While the pace and extent of the return to sport for all people, is significantly dependent on the capacity of the various sporting organisations and clubs at local level, I hope that these measures will help support organisations and clubs in bringing as many people, including young people, back to sporting activity as quickly as possible.
246. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the roll-out of all Gaeltacht language planning areas and Gaeltacht service towns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47933/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Language planning process is being rolled out under the Gaeltacht Act, 2012. Údarás na Gaeltachta is charged with facilitating the implementation of the process in Gaeltacht language planning areas and Gaeltacht Service Towns located within the Gaeltacht while Foras na Gaeilge have similar responsibility for the implementation of the process outside the Gaeltacht.
Of the 26 Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas, 24 language plans have been approved to date. Language Plans in respect of the remaining two areas: An Gaeltacht Láir and Oileáin Árann are currently being evaluated by my Department. It is expected that all 26 will be approved by year-end which will represent a significant milestone in the process.
18 Language Planning Officers and four Assistant Language Planning Officers are currently employed across the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas.
To date, language plans for four Gaeltacht Service Towns have been approved under the process, namely, Letterkenny, Daingean Uí Chúis, Galway City and An Clochán Liath. My Department is also currently evaluating the language plan for Tralee, Co Kerry. The process of preparing language plans is also underway for the following Gaeltacht Service Towns: Dungarvan, Cahersiveen and Cork City.
I should also point out that language plans have been approved for the Irish Language Networks of Clondalkin, Ennis and Loughrea.
It is anticipated that Foras na Gaeilge will shortly be in a position to commence the process to select suitable organisations to undertake the preparation and implementation of plans in respect of both Clifden and Ballinrobe.
247. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the plans in place or proposed to address funding for sports organisations in view of losses suffered during the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47934/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe sport sector has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and sports clubs throughout the country have faced significant operational and financial challenges as a result.
As I recently confirmed to the Sport Monitoring Group, a new funding package will shortly be announced to provide financial support to the sporting sector in addition to the €26.3 million additional current funding already provided to Sport Ireland to support the sport sector in 2021. Sport Ireland will shortly arrange for the invitation of applications from NGBs and sports clubs with the aim of distributing this funding. In 2020, a total Covid-19 funding package of €88.5 million was provided to support the sport sector. This significant investment benefited all levels of the sport sector, including thousands of grassroots clubs across the country, and provided some certainty for sporting organisations in their planning for 2021. The 2020 funding package included support for the three main field sports organisations (the FAI, GAA and IRFU), a Resilience Fund to support the National Governing Bodies of Sport, a Sports Club Resilience Fund to support clubs, a Sports Restart and Renewal Fund, and a Swimming Pools Fund.
248. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the timeframe in place or proposed for rolling out the basic income scheme for artists. [35109/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra249. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the role her Department has played in developing a universal basic income for artists. [35261/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 8, 49 and 63 today
I am critically aware of the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on all areas of the arts and cultural sector, and I have endeavoured to make sure that the concerns of those in this sector have been understood and addressed. I have personally met with numerous representative organisations and officials in my Department have continued contact with these organisations and others on a regular basis throughout the pandemic, to confirm that I had the most up-to-date information to ensure appropriate supports were delivered for the sector. This includes stakeholder forums in August and September where I spoke directly to a wide range of stakeholders and heard their concerns.
In relation to the Basic Income Guarantee pilot, the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce report Life Worth Living , was published in November 2020 and made ten recommendations for the sector. These recommendations included a proposal to pilot a basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audio-visual and live performance and events sectors. I believe the delivery of this pilot will be key to underpinning the recovery in the arts and culture sector and will provide much needed certainty to the artists and creatives who choose to avail of the pilot scheme.
The Life Worth Living report describes a basic income as an unconditional state payment that each citizen receives, in this instance, for the arts and cultural sector. The introduction of such a basic income pilot would create a more stable social protection mechanism to allow artists and workers to sustain themselves during the pandemic. It should 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 fully agree that the arts sector represents a very appropriate area for a Basic Income Guarantee scheme for many reasons, including that:
- it is often characterised by low and precarious income;
- it includes a broad mix of employment types and;
- it has been chosen for Basic Income pilots in other jurisdictions allowing for international comparisons to be drawn e.g. Finland, Germany, Canada and France.
I was delighted that as part of the National Economic Recovery Plan, I secured a commitment from Government to prioritise the development of a Basic Income Guarantee pilot scheme for the arts and cultural sector. As Minister with responsibility for Arts and Culture, I am conscious of the value that this sector brings to all Irish citizens, which was particularly evident during the pandemic. The importance of Irish culture, Irish art and Irish productions as a whole cannot be understated in terms of its impact both internationally and at home. The Government recognises that bold steps are necessary for our much treasured arts, events and cultural community to come back stronger than ever before.
I established an Oversight Group in June of this year to appraise the recommendations in the Life Worth Living report. Although the remit of the Oversight Group included the examination of all recommendations in the report, I asked that they prioritise the consideration of the Recommendation on a basic income guarantee pilot scheme for artists and arts workers as a priority. The Oversight Group is chaired by my Department and 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 alongside a representative of the County and City Managers Association.
The Oversight Group has met 8 times over the last 4 months to discuss the Basic Income recommendation alongside the other 9 recommendations. To assist in these discussions, the Oversight Group established a subcommittee to focus solely on the progression of the recommendation for the basic income Pilot Scheme. This sub-committee met 9 times over the summer months to develop a number of options that could fulfil the requirements of a pilot scheme as set out in the Life Worth Living report. The Oversight Group, with the research carried out by this sub-committee, has provided me with a preliminary report on the different options for a 3 year pilot scheme which I am currently considering.
A number of organisations have given presentations to the Oversight Committee in order to inform their considerations these include:
- the NCFA (the National Campaign for the Arts)
- Social Justice Ireland
- Praxis – the Artists Union
- Dr Stephen Kinsella – Economist in University Limerick and Niamh NicGhabhann & Annmarie Ryan who had done research in the area of artist basic income
In addition, Equity the actors union are due to present to the group next week.
The objectives of the pilot scheme will include:
- To minimise the ongoing loss of skills in the arts sector, both artists and arts workers;
- Contributing to the sectors recovery post-pandemic, with ongoing benefits: social and economic, local and national;
- Enabling artists to focus on their practice without having to enter into employment in other sectors to sustain themselves;
I believe it is particularly important for this pilot scheme to also address the wellbeing of those in the arts and cultural sector, and to stimulate the arts sector’s recovery post-pandemic.
I will be providing further detail on how this pilot scheme will operate in the near future as part of the discussions around Budget 2022. Significant stakeholder engagement will take place in the coming weeks between my Department and those in the Sector to ensure that this pilot meets the needs of the sector alongside the objectives agreed by the Oversight Group.
I envision that this pilot should launch in early 2022 and I believe it will bring new life and support to the Arts and Cultural Sector, after the difficult circumstances they have endured over the last year and a half.
250. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if her attention has been drawn to a settlement between a State agency (details supplied) and the Revenue Commissioners; if there are any agencies under her Department’s remit that have had a similar issue or have made a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners in relation to any issue in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48033/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are nineteen agencies in the Department under my remit. I have been informed that the majority of these have not had an issue or reached a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners on any issue in the past five years.
Three Bodies under the aegis of my Department, RTÉ, TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland have had engagement with Revenue and I have asked these Bodies to respond directly to the Deputy within the required timeframe.
251. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she is seeking an additional sports capital allocation in the forthcoming Budget for 2022; if consideration is being given to carrying over the remaining funds available under the sports capital grant scheme to 2022 and combining this with possible additional provision to be provided in Budget 2022 for distribution amongst the current applicants under the scheme given the large number of applications and the risk that otherwise applicants will receive an allocation insufficient to undertake their proposed works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48167/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra252. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the number of applications for sports capital grants remaining now that the allocations have been made for the equipment grants; the financial allocation available for this cohort; when allocations will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48168/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1st March 2021. By the closing date, over 3,100 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.
The scoring system and assessment procedures were published earlier this year and all applications are being assessed accordingly. Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on the 6th August.
The remaining 2,000 approx. applications for capital works are now being assessed. Given the large number of applications received, this work is likely to take a number of months to complete with allocations expected to be announced before the end of this year. A decision on the total allocation amount will not be made until all applications have been assessed.
It is not possible at this stage to state what this level of funding will be as factors such as the level of invalid applications will be relevant. Furthermore, the level of carry-over from this year into 2022 will be dependent on the level of drawdown demands received in the Department before the end of this year. Every effort will be made to fund as many worthwhile projects as possible while providing a sufficient level of grant to ensure the projects are viable.
253. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the Galway 2020 legacy plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48220/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra254. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the status of the evaluation of Galway 2020 by an organisation (details supplied); the amount paid to the organisation to date to carry out the evaluation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48221/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra255. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if the Galway 2020 performance delivery agreement was extended after 1 July 2021 pursuant to her comments in Dáil Éireann on 22 June 2021; when the Galway 2020 performance delivery agreement is due to expire; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48222/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 253 to 255, inclusive, together.
Galway 2020 is undertaking a focused stakeholder consultation process with creative, community, business, Government and European stakeholders. This consultation process, together with the monitoring and evaluation programme report, will inform the development of a sustainable strategic legacy plan for Galway 2020. This legacy plan is due to be finalised and published before year end and €1m from my Department’s overall €15m commitment remains to support the legacy plan.
The monitoring and evaluation of Galway 2020, which involves close to 200 surveys, focus groups, data collection skills workshops, interviews and consultations, is now at an advanced stage with the final report by The Audience Agency scheduled to be published before year end. Just over €170,000 of the €199,450 contract cost has been paid to the organisation to date.
On 1 July last, the Performance Delivery Agreement between my Department and Galway 2020 was extended to cover the period up to 31 December 2021 to provide for appropriate ongoing engagement and oversight for the legacy planning phase up to year end.
256. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the breakdown of the way the €50 million allocated for live performance (details supplied) in budget 2021 was spent, in tabular form; and the amount actually spent or drawn down under each scheme or funding stream as of September 2021. [48262/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am acutely aware of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the arts/culture and live entertainment sectors. I have engaged with numerous stakeholders in the sector during the course of the pandemic to ensure that appropriate supports were put in place.
To support the industry through this difficult period I have to date allocated funding for a suite of measures designed to sustain and support live performance and employment opportunities in the sector, including the following schemes detailed in the table below.
|
Scheme |
Allocation |
|
|
Live Performance Support Scheme 2021 (LPSS2021) |
€25m |
238 successful applications have been allocated grants under this scheme. This fund has been fully allocated. |
|
Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS I, II & MEBAS Phase 2) |
€4m |
780 applications have been approved to date for MEBAS I & II, with almost €2m issued in payments. MEBAS Phase 2 is now open for applications, with a fund of €2m available. Previous recipients of MEBAS are also eligible to apply under MEBAS Phase 2. |
|
Event Sector Covid Support Scheme (€11.5m of which was funded via transfer from D/ETE) & ESCSS Phase 2 |
€16.5m |
Over 300 applications have been approved to date with almost €10.5m issued in payments. ESCSS Phase 2 will open for applications on 7th October with a fund of €5m available. Previous recipients of ESCSS will also be eligible to apply under ESCSS Phase 2. |
|
Local Live Performance Programming Scheme (LLPPS) |
€5m |
This fund has been fully allocated, with grants awarded to all 31 local authorities. |
|
Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme |
€5m |
This scheme will open for applications on 14th October as a targeted support for commercial businesses operating from a premises in the arts, music and entertainment sector which have been significantly negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Grants will be paid to successful applicants as a contribution to capital costs associated with reopening after closures due to the pandemic. |
|
Patrick's Day Festival |
€1m |
€1 million was allocated to the St Patrick's Festival 2021 for programming, supporting over 3,500 days of employment for performers, producers, artists, technicians, creatives and support staff. This fund has been allocated in full. |
257. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the proposed funding schemes that will be made available to further support regional museums and other cultural facilities in County Louth provided by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48342/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department runs a number of schemes that are available to local and regional museums around the country, including the Regional Museum Exhibition Scheme which provides funding support for local, regional and specialised museums, to promote the marketing of these institutions through the provision of funding for capital exhibition costs that enhance the exhibition/display facilities within their museums or which promote access to the museum. The Deputy will be pleased to know that the Highlanes Gallery in County Louth was allocated €13,500 under this year’s Scheme towards publication and exhibition of extensive research and curation on the life and work of the Drogheda born artist Nano Reid.
My Department also operates a Mobility of Collections scheme to support greater regional and local access to material held in the National Collections. This demand-driven Scheme is designed to fund the transport, cost of insurance and exhibiting costs for pieces from the National Collections to appropriate institutions around the country.
The Department also runs the Co-operation with Northern Ireland Funding Scheme. This scheme provides funding support for small self-contained projects which seek to enhance, celebrate or commemorate the artistic, cultural, musical, film or heritage of the Island of Ireland on a North/South basis.
Details of these three Schemes may be found on my Department’s website, at www.gov.ie/en/publication/f2ed0-culture-grants-and-funding/
From time to time my Department also runs capital funding grant schemes provided under a competitive process to a maximum of €300,000 grants for the upgrading of the existing stock of arts and culture facilities throughout the country. There are currently no such large capital funding schemes open at present. The previous capital funding schemes were for not-for-profit organisations that had a dedicated arts and culture remit. Any new capital funding schemes for this sector would be advertised on the gov.ie website.
My Department currently has a smaller capital funding scheme open, Stream D of the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022. This provides for smaller capital grants of up to €10,000 which is open to ‘not-for-profit’ arts and culture organisations and is specifically for capital adaptations or equipment necessary to assist these organisations in re-opening safely after COVID-19. Stream D would fund the likes of perspex screens, sanitisation units (not the liquid), signage, any other eligible equipment necessary or capital adaptation that the organisation needs/has needed since 12 March 2020 in order to assist the organisation in re-opening safely. The eligibility criteria and full details of this scheme are also my Department’s website, at www.gov.ie/en/publication/45e3b-creative-arts/.
258. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which the tourism industry is likely to recover over the next 12 months; if she plans to take any further initiatives to stimulate the industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48344/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra259. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she and her Department have examined the most important features of the tourism industry to which she can offer assistance or encouragement towards recovery in the wake of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48345/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra260. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she and her Department propose to take specific initiatives to help the recovery of the tourism industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48346/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the degree to which her Department has identified a particular need for the tourism sector with specific reference to recovery and restoration of employment to the maximum extent possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48347/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 258 to 261, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy is aware, tourism has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year a Tourism Recovery Taskforce was put in place to prepare a Tourism Recovery Plan with recommendations on how best the Irish Tourism sector can adapt and recover in a changed tourism environment as a result of the crisis. The Taskforce, in drawing up its plan, undertook a comprehensive analysis of what was required to help the sector to survive and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan has been more than useful for both my cabinet colleagues and myself in considering measures that can assist the sector.
Measures taken by Government, such as the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme, together with the sector-specific measures for tourism that I have introduced such as business continuity grants and the lower VAT rate have all been critical in supporting businesses and jobs over the past 18 months.
Recruitment continues to be a significant challenge for the tourism and hospitality sector, with up to two-thirds of businesses reporting reduced capacity due to staff shortages. Fáilte Ireland has been collaborating with industry to help address this issue and have launched #BeThePulse, a new recruitment marketing and awareness campaign to help attract new staff to the industry. Fáilte Ireland continues to promote opportunities and communicate the benefits of working in the industry via their content and social media strategy on tourismcareers.ie.
I appointed a Recovery Oversight Group to oversee the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan and they report to me on a regular basis with updates on implementation and the recovery of the sector. This group has recently submitted its third report to me. I will use the report from the Recovery Oversight Group as an important policy consideration as I continue to work, alongside my Government colleagues, to support the tourism sector over the coming year and beyond. I will consider further initiatives to support tourism in the context of Budget 2022.
The global health crisis has had a devastating impact on our tourism sector but it has also provided an opportunity now to address sustainable tourism development in a more meaningful way during the recovery and rebuilding phase following this crisis. In line with our Programme for Government commitments, officials within my Department are taking initial steps towards the development of a new national tourism policy which will mainstream sustainability. The development of this new policy will be informed by the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Tourism Development developed by the Sustainable Tourism Working Group and will be consistent with our sectoral climate change targets and commitments.
It is clear that the traditional model of tourism is changing and the development of this new national tourism policy gives us an opportunity to set out what type of tourism sector we want to 2030 and beyond. Tourism has proven itself resilient before and I am confident that, with the support of Government, it will recover from this crisis and thrive again in a manner which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media when capital sports grants are likely to be awarded and granted in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48348/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra264. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department proposes to put special emphasis on local sporting and community organisations when considering the allocation of grants in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48350/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 264 together.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. The Programme is specifically designed to assist local sports clubs, community groups and others to develop their facilities.
The 2020 round of the SCEP closed for applications on Monday 1st March 2021. By the closing date, over 3,100 applications were submitted seeking over €200m in funding. This is the highest number of applications ever received.
The scoring system and assessment procedures were published earlier this year, at www.gov.ie/en/publication/8c432-sports-capital-and-equipment-programme-2020-assessment-guide, and all applications are being assessed accordingly. The scoring system places a particular emphasis on the sharing of facilities and this is designed to ensure the facilities being funded benefit as many people in the community as possible. Other factors considered when scoring applications include whether the project will increase participation, whether the project serves an area of socio-economic disadvantage and whether the project has a focus on people with disabilities.
Approximately one thousand of the submitted applications were for 'equipment-only' projects. These applications were assessed first and grants with a total value of €16.6m were announced on the 6th August. The remaining 2,000 approx. applications for capital works are now being assessed. Given the large number of applications received, this work is likely to take a number of months to complete with allocations expected to be announced before the end of this year.
263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if major capital sports projects are likely to be announced; if any changes to previous policy in this regard are contemplated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48349/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Sports Policy as published in 2018 provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The scheme is designed for projects where the grant being sought is greater than the maximum grant available under the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP). The first allocations under the LSSIF were announced in January 2020 and thus far, approximately €86.4m has been awarded to 33 different proposals.
All applications under the LSSIF were assessed in accordance with the published scoring criteria. The total funding applied for under the scheme significantly exceeded the amount available to allocate and so it was not possible to make provisional allocations to many worthwhile projects.
While the priority in the short term is to advance all of the successful projects, as it is now over 18 months since the first allocations were made, and in view of the issues faced by grantees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely to review progress on all projects allocated grants. My Department is engaging with all grantees in this regard. The scope for awarding new grants to projects which missed out under the first set of allocations is being considered as part of this review as is the timing of any new call for proposals. It is expected that the review will be completed in the coming months.
265. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department has directly supported the arts in 2021; her plans for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48351/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media if she and her Department have identified any particular areas in which further assistance to the arts will be provided in the wake of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48352/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which employment is being restored throughout the arts community; if any further particular issues have arisen which might warrant her attention in the wake of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48353/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 265 to 267, inclusive, together.
I am acutely aware of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the arts/culture and live entertainment sectors. I have engaged with numerous stakeholders in the sector during the course of the pandemic to ensure that appropriate supports were put in place.
Primary support for the arts, including support for a wide range of cultural venues, is delivered by the Arts Council. In 2021, the Government allocated €130m to the Arts Council which is an increase of 62% over the amount initially allocated for 2020. The Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council announced details of its investment plans last February and this included a range of initiatives aimed at supporting artists and arts organisations.
From the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, the Arts Council adopted a pro-active approach to supporting individual artists of all genres as well as arts and culture organisations. The Council introduced new and enhanced funding programmes and the details as well as the recipients are provided on the Arts Council’s website.
To support the industry through this difficult period I have to date allocated funding for a suite of measures designed to sustain and support live performance and employment opportunities in the sector, including the following schemes detailed in the following table.
|
Scheme |
Allocation |
- |
|
Live Performance Support Scheme 2021 (LPSS2021) |
€25m |
238 successful applications have been allocated grants under this scheme. This fund has been fully allocated. |
|
Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS I, II & MEBAS Phase 2) |
€4m |
780 applications have been approved to date for MEBAS I & II, with almost €2m issued in payments. MEBAS Phase 2 is now open for applications, with a fund of €2m available. Previous recipients of MEBAS are also eligible to apply under MEBAS Phase 2. |
|
Event Sector Covid Support Scheme (€11.5m of which was funded via transfer from D/ETE) & ESCSS Phase 2 |
€16.5m |
Over 300 applications have been approved to date with almost €10.5m issued in payments. ESCSS Phase 2 will open for applications on 7th October with a fund of €5m available. Previous recipients of ESCSS will also be eligible to apply under ESCSS Phase 2. |
|
Local Live Performance Programming Scheme (LLPPS) |
€5m |
This fund has been fully allocated, with grants awarded to all 31 local authorities. |
|
Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme |
€5m |
This scheme will open for applications on 14th October as a targeted support for commercial businesses operating from a premises in the arts, music and entertainment sector which have been significantly negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Grants will be paid to successful applicants as a contribution to capital costs associated with reopening after closures due to the pandemic. |
|
Patrick's Day Festival |
€1m |
€1 million was allocated to the St Patrick's Festival 2021 for programming, supporting over 3,500 days of employment for performers, producers, artists, technicians, creatives and support staff. This fund has been allocated in full. |
I committed during August to securing a reopening plan for the sector through a clear roadmap for the sustainable reopening of activities in the live entertainment, culture and arts sectors.
At its meeting on 31 August, Government agreed on the return to outdoor and indoor events at the following capacity levels and with maximum available social distancing between groups:
- Indoors – for vaccinated/recovered people and accompanying minors- 60% capacity
- Outdoors - for vaccinated/recovered people and accompanying minors- 75% capacity
- Outdoors - for mixed groups of vaccinated/recovered and unvaccinated people – 50% capacity.
All restrictions on numbers attending events will be lifted on 22 October marking a dramatic and significant positive step for the arts, music and entertainment sector. In the interim, we are seeing increased opportunities for live performance everywhere throughout the State.
268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she and her Department are engaged in the promotion of Irish culture at home and abroad targeting the tourism and education sectors in particular thereby creating a new awareness at home and abroad; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48354/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with Government's Global Ireland 2025 initiative, Ireland aims to increase global impact through the promotion of Irish arts worldwide. Ireland's strong global reputation for creativity brings many benefits to our country including the encouraging of visitors for tourism, education and business, providing compelling reasons to visit Ireland and experience Irish creativity first hand.
Culture Ireland has the primary responsibility for the promotion of Irish arts and artists globally. Through its Grants Programme and Annual Funding Programme, Culture Ireland works to bring Irish artists to audiences worldwide. While much of this activity was online over the past 18 moths, I am delighted to be able to approve support for Irish artists to travel globally again. Representatives of Tourism Ireland, The Arts Council, Screen Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs sit on the Expert Advisory Committee of Culture Ireland and this cross agency representation ensures that there is a joined up approach to achieve the aims of Global Ireland 2025 through the promotion of Irish artists globally.
While I have recently returned from visits to Britain and the US promoting the "Green Button" campaign which aims to highlight all of the benefits Ireland has to offer to visitors whether for culture, leisure or business purpose, the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, have operational responsibility for tourism promotion. I have asked both tourism agencies to respond directly to the Deputy with further information on how they leverage Irish culture for tourism promotional purposes – domestically in the case of Fáilte Ireland and overseas in the case of Tourism Ireland. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
