Mr. Shane Dunne:

We are 100% behind the funding that has gone to the Arts Council but that is for the funded arts sector. The non-funded sector, in turnover and ticket sales, is substantially bigger.

The Deputy asked what was the Government's response to the sector. Right now we have a wage subsidy scheme that will last until the end of August, which is the response that we have had from the Government. He asked about long-term recovery. If the payment does not extend until we are back to something like capacity we will not have a long-term recovery because the people and the skillsets that we keep talking about will leave this industry. They are the big asks. There will be little bits of work and venues will be at reduced capacity. Maybe venues can operate at 25% or 30% but they can only operate at that capacity with the continuation of the wage subsidy, with a rates break and substantial other help, as listed in the submissions. The three submissions have a similar crossover of requests. It will take the entire raft of requests to keep these people and their skillsets within the industry so that in three, six or nine months or whatever we can go back to work.