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Culture Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2021

Thursday, 11 November 2021

Ceisteanna (259, 261, 262, 263)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

259. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the initiatives she has taken or proposes to take to encourage cultural activities throughout the country with particular reference to ongoing challenges such as Covid-19 or other threats in the short and medium-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55443/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

261. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the degree to which her Department has assisted with community-based arts and cultural activities, by county, in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55445/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department continues to liaise with cultural and arts groups, including the performing arts; if she is satisfied with the progress in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55446/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which her Department, directly or through the Arts Council and Kildare County Council, has assisted with productions at a club (details supplied); her proposals for do so in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55447/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 259 and 261 to 263, inclusive, together.

The all-of Government Creative Ireland Programme 2017-2022, led by my Department, seeks to enable each citizen to realise their full creative potential. Under its Creative Communities initiative, annual funding is provided to the 31 local authorities to enable them implement their individual Culture and Creativity Strategies 2018-2022 and to support the delivery of Cruinniú na nÓg, the national day of free creative activities for children and young people.

During 2020, funding to local authorities by the Programme substantially increased to support the delivery of the strategies, including responding to COVID-19. This higher level of funding was maintained in 2021, including the continuation of the Creativity in Older Age Scheme. The scheme invited local authorities, directly and/or through partnerships with creative operators or organisations in the community, to deliver initiatives that supported positive aging, mitigated the negative impact of social cocooning and social distancing, and developed new forms of creative engagement for older people that accommodated prevailing public health guidance in the community and for residential care facilities.  Funding allocated to the Local Authorities through Creative Communities from January 2020 to date will be sent directly to the Deputy.

The Culture and Creativity Team in Kildare County Council delivered a wide range of community based initiatives that engaged cultural and arts groups. These included the Lockdown Art Exhibition 2020 at the John Sullivan Day Centre in Clane and the Kildare Covid-19 Notebook project which engaged older people and those who were cocooning. Building on a very successful public art intervention, two artworks (murals) exploring local fauna, flora and biodiversity were delivered in Monasterevin Town with additional support provided by my department in 2021 to continue the initiative.

My Department has funded a wide range of activities in the cultural sphere, many of which involve the online presentation of events that would normally have taken place live and in-person. These include a myriad of online performances, events such as Cruinniú na nÓg and a wide range of activities presented by Ireland's National Cultural Institutions.

I am acutely aware of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the arts/culture and live entertainment sectors. 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 below.

Scheme

Allocation

Live Performance Support Scheme 2021 (LPSS2021)

€25m

Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS I, II & MEBAS Phase 2)

€4m

Event Sector Covid Support Scheme (€11.5m of which was funded via transfer from D/ETE) and ESCSS Phase 2

€16.5m

Local Live Performance Programming Scheme (LLPPS)

€5m

Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme

€5m

Patrick's Day Festival

€1m

In July 2020, my Department opened up a new funding scheme, Stream D of the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 as a direct response to the COVID 19 crisis. The primary focus of the scheme is the capital adaptations, renovations or supply of equipment necessary for arts and culture facilities to help them reopen safely and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these facilities. The theatre to which the Deputy refers applied under this scheme in November 2020 and was awarded €10,000 towards the cost of live streaming equipment including cameras, network, video production system and its associated installation. This funding was fully drawn down in June 2021.

The Arts Council is the agency through which Government support for the arts sector is delivered. In 2021, I allocated a record €130m to the Arts Council to provide for the arts sector including those in the performing arts. Details of Arts Council funding of arts organisations is  published on its website.

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