Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the session musicians to whom the Deputy referred, I will meet the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland, MEAI, again next week. I will also meet sound technicians and others who work behind the scenes to make a performance happen. The purpose of the pilot scheme I initiated with €5 million was to reach those musicians, get them working again and provide supports for the crews as well as the artists. The scheme is for artists and arts workers. I am trying to engage as extensively as possible to reach them all. There are people seeking support who never thought they would have to do so. My goal is to reach as many of them as possible. It is through the extensive engagement that we will find ways to do that. As the Deputy can appreciate, the development of the pilot scheme of €5 million into a €50 million scheme for next year presents great opportunities to give support. The Covid response support scheme, CRSS, is a complementary scheme and these schemes work hand in hand. I hope I will be able to cover any areas that are not covered by the CRSS. As I say, it is about reaching as many people as possible to make sure we can put on the great performances again that we all love.

On music tuition and the comparison with sport, the latter takes place outdoors whereas music tuition is held indoors. My children are doing piano lessons by Zoom. It is something they missed in the first lockdown but tuition is happening now. We are engaging with the Department of Education to ensure there is greater clarity. I do not have any specific role in this area but I am involved in cross-departmental work to see if we can get clarity on it.

On local media, as I have stated previously, I recognise the value of and need for supports for the local media and I will meet the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, IBI, in November.