Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Dorgan and her team in the NCFA for their work, as well as arts organisations over this difficult period. The arts organisations, along with community and sports groups, are taking us through this period. We will come through it.

The role of the arts task force, established by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, is to see us through this period. One of the challenges, however, is the big picture vision and how will the arts rebuild Ireland. Crucial to that is the role of the arts and entertainment industries in our local communities. I am referring to professional, amateur and voluntary organisations. What more can we do to support venues, as many of them are under pressure? The issue of insurance reform would have been high on the NCFA's agenda.

I know the Irish Street Arts, Circus & Spectacle Network, ISACS, and others have been quite keen to push that. Regarding the immediate priorities and stuff this committee might look at in the area, Ms Dorgan mentioned the transposition of the EU directive, and I ask her to comment on that.

We need to look at the aim of getting support for individual artists and so on in the broader entertainment industry. Obviously, many musicians and others are out of work or with minimum levels of work. Some of the changes to the PUP announced yesterday are positive. What more can be done to support those?