Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
208. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the total underspend from the €50 million in funding announced to support the live performance sector, broken down by the intended use when first announced and the plans for the remaining unspent allocation. [32131/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing Budget 2022, I was pleased to announce details of another €50m suite of measures to support the live performance sector in 2022. The funding facilitated the following schemes:
- The Live Performance Supports Scheme - LPSS 3, to support events which were due to be staged in December 2021 and January 2022 and were curtailed, cancelled or rescheduled due to the restrictions on audience capacity. Grants of over €9.5m have been offered under LPSS 3. I had allocated up to €15m for this scheme.
- Grants of €2.9m have also been offered under the LPSS Strand II, which supported pantomimes and seasonal musical theatre impacted by the Covid restrictions which applied in December and January. I had allocated up to €5m for this scheme.
- The Live Performance Restart Grant Scheme (LPRGS) launched in March. This scheme is to support the live entertainment sector by providing business re-start grants to de-risk the planning of events across spring and summer of 2022 and assist with the costs of reopening. Grants of €14.7m have been offered under LPRGS to date. I had allocated up to €15m for this scheme.
- My Department provided €1m to support the St Patrick’s Festival.
- Under MEBAS 2022 €2.8m has been allocated as a targeted support for self-employed performers and sole traders operating solely in the live entertainment sector. I had allocated up to €4m for this scheme.
- The Local Live Public Performance Scheme (LLPPS) Phase 3 provided funding of €5m to Local Authorities for local live events. These events will continue to run until the end of June this year. Given the success of that scheme I have recently allocated a further €5m to the local authorities to provide for live events until Halloween.
- Grants of €1.7m have been provided under the 2022 for the Commercial Entertainment Capital Grant Scheme (CECGS). Grants assisted with the capital costs associated with re-opening after closures due to the pandemic. I had allocated €5m to this scheme.
These grants awarded brings the funding allocated to date to almost €41m. None of the live performance schemes have been oversubscribed and there has been sufficient funding available to provide grants to all eligible applicants.
This funding I believe has been essential to help underpin the recovery of the sector post pandemic. It has been great to see the hundreds of events and gigs happening across the country and I am happy artists, crews, event producers and promoters are back to doing what they do best.
