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

Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo inniu chun moladh maidir le meastachán forlíontach do mo Roinnse a chur i láthair. D’úsáidfí an maoiniú seo go príomha chun fóirdheontas a thabhairt do chostais mhéadaithe fóntais agus mhaireachtála d’eagraíochtaí nach féidir leo leas a bhaint as tacaíochtaí cothrománacha eile atá á dtairiscint ag an Rialtas faoi láthair. Luaigh an tAire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe, An Teachta Michael McGrath, na hábhair bhreise seo agus é ag labhairt ar Lá an Bhuiséid. Ó shin i leith, tá m’oifigigh agus mé féin ag obair leis an Roinn sin chun bailchríoch a chur ar ghnéithe teicniúla na tacaíochta breise.

The proposed 2022 Supplementary Estimate totals €53.61 million, resulting in a 2022 Revised Estimate total for my Department of €1.27603 billion. This comprises €35 million for the sports programme area, about which my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, will address the committee in detail. It also provides €15 million for RTÉ in line with the recommendations of the Future of Media Commission report. The proposed additional allocation of €15 million to RTÉ is to give effect to the Commission's recommendation, which was informed by the Commission's detailed examination of RTÉ’s financial situation and interim funding requirements.

In terms of the culture and arts area, it is a well-established principle of public finance that, where possible, the requirement for additional support be first met within a Department's existing allocation, before seeking further funding to the Vote. Accordingly, I have reallocated savings within the Culture and Arts programme area to address the current operational pressures for the national cultural institutions, Screen Ireland, other cultural bodies supported by the Department and bodies supported through the Arts Council. This will be achieved by technical supplementary, details of which are contained in the committee's brief today.

In summary, €15.54 million will be reallocated from savings in the basic income for the arts and live entertainment support areas. These savings arise in the basic income for the arts as it was rolled out later than anticipated due to the high volume of applications, with over 9,000 applications requiring review and assessment.

I am happy to report that payments began in October and it is expected that up to €12 million will be paid to artists under this scheme by year-end. In the live entertainment area, savings arise due to the full reopening of the live entertainment sector on 22 January, sooner than anticipated, which allowed for 100% capacity for live events, with a removal of the requirement for vaccination or recovery certificates for access to venues and the reopening of nightclubs. This significantly changed context and provided the sector with an opportunity to generate box-office income. Accordingly, many grantees submitted revised and adjusted drawdown requests yielding savings under certain schemes. It should be noted that the measures put in place to support stakeholders in the live entertainment sector this year followed extensive consultation on the supports required and all eligible demands under those schemes was met in 2022.

Additional funding will be provided to address increased utility costs in the cultural area as follows: €8.76 million in respect of cultural bodies under the aegis of the Department, spread across the various relevant subheads; €5 million in respect of arts and culture organisations to be administered by the Arts Council; and €1.78 million in respect of cultural organisations, including a number of regional museums, which are supported directly by the Department such as Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, the National Print Museum, the Cork Butter Museum, and the Hunt Museum. This additional funding will be provided from savings within the culture and arts programme in 2022 from subheads B16, €12 million, and B17, €3.54 million.

As I mentioned earlier, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, will address the committee on the additional allocation for sport.

The remaining €3.61 million is accounted for in the context of increased pay across my Department and agencies arising from the Building Momentum public sector pay agreement.

There is no direct request for additional funding in this Supplementary Estimate request in respect of the tourism programme in my Vote as it is anticipated that the universal supports to be provided under the temporary business energy support scheme, TBESS, will address the needs of this sector.

The world has been impacted by global challenges, including the invasion of Ukraine, global inflation, and climate change. The Government has recognised the impact of the current situation through a number of horizontal measures designed specifically to protect the most vulnerable in our society as we face into the winter. There are also increased measures to support business and industry. Bodies supported under the cultural and sporting programme areas of my Department cannot avail of most of these supports, but given their direct and ancillary benefits to employment and the economy, physical and mental health and well-being, societal development and cohesion, it is appropriate for Government to support organisations in these areas. Let us not forget that during the worst of the pandemic, culture, sport, and media played a particular vital role in helping us find joy in the darker times.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gcoiste as éisteacht linn agus labhróidh mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Chambers, anois maidir leis an maoiniú breise don spórt.