Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Chairman for his patience. I am sure it is the first time for some of our guests to appear before an Oireachtas committee. It is my first time to sit on a committee. We are all finding our feet.

I have received submissions that highlight the harrowing reality facing our arts and entertainment industry. Funding for the Abbey Theatre has not yet returned to pre-2008 levels. Research conducted by EY indicates that the arts sector is facing a decline of 42% whereas the figure for the wider economy is 11%. It is clear from the statement of the Arts Council that the arts industry is the least confident of all sectors with regard to its ability to operate through Covid-19 and beyond.

I am concerned about the viability, sustainability and loss of valued skills directly and indirectly associated with the sector as well as the economic loss that comes with it. The impact of the loss of skills will reach out into other areas. These areas are not strictly related to the arts but that loss will affect programmes like the Creative Schools and Creative Ireland programmes. Although community based and not professional, these programmes are wholly reliant on professional input to make them happen in the first place.

I was speaking to the manager of the Backstage Theatre in Longford. My constituency is Longford-Westmeath. I am flittered with opportunities to engage in the arts and entertainment sector, from festivals to theatres. We have an abundance of them but all are being greatly impacted as they try to come out of Covid-19. My hometown of Mullingar will have no Fleadh Cheoil this year. The fleadh would have sustained the local arts centre there for at least two years. The manager of the Backstage Theatre told me this morning about their artist in residence. She is a playmaker. Her project is to work with the local children in the town. They are going to complete the work but they have no idea when they will be able to stage the production.

I have several questions. I will start by asking Ms Dorgan about social distancing. I referred to Mullingar Arts Centre earlier. The people running the centre are now looking at extending the number of shows they can put on for the Christmas pantomime. They are reducing the number of attendees but they are not increasing the ticket price. This is a reflection of the dedication of the people who work in this area. They are determined to put this on come hell or high water. The reality, however, is that it is not sustainable, certainly not from a financial perspective. The only guaranteed income they have every year is from the local authority. If that was to be withdrawn, I would not like to think about the outcome. The Backstage Theatre has a capacity of 212. Due to social distancing, it will only be able to stage events for 17 people. That completely removes the enjoyment for the audience who have to sit so far away from one another. It almost takes away the craic and removes a layer of the reason people go to these events.

I am keen to know the extent to which such measures are replicated across the country. In the week before the closure, my arts centre had over 2,700 children engaged in one way or another. That is a phenomenal figure and it is because of the outreach they do in rural towns and communities. My concern is that if these activities stop, they will never come back. If that were to be the case, we will lose a generation of potential Hoziers, actors and event managers, which is a real shame.

I am curious to know whether the National Campaign for the Arts has a figure for the number of those involved in the sector who did not receive any financial supports during Covid-19, either due to work practices or because they are over 66 years of age.

I will keep going because I have some questions for the other representatives and they may be able to swap over. I read the event production industry Covid-19 working group submission. These individuals are not in the habit of asking for help. They fly under the radar, so to speak, when events are being managed. However, events will not take place without these people in the background. The working group referred to rate rebates and the pandemic unemployment payment. Mr. Dunne referred to something that has been raised frequently with me, namely, the percentage of capacity as opposed to the capacity number. Mr. Dunne's submission mentioned help. Outside of rates rebates and the pandemic payment, what does help actually look like? For this sector to continue to be viable and to ensure that the €6 return for every €1 invested continues to flow in to our economy, what specific supports would the working group like to see in this non-funded side of the sector?

I note the Event Industry Association of Ireland submission refers to a "bustling calendar of events". A bustling calendar is certainly something that I see in the arts in my constituency. The manager of the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone mentioned something to me that I found concerning. It was the difficulty that those running the theatre are having in developing a programme of events for the future given the hesitancy of promoters and artists to book. This is because of their sense of a lack of security and the viability of employment in the sector. My take on this is that without a comprehensive and highly structured support package put in place by Government, we will see this replicated throughout the country.

It goes back to that loss of talent and skills and the foundations of the arts and entertainment industry will be fundamentally eroded if it loses people to permanent employment in sectors that are unrelated to it.

Are the witnesses hearing this elsewhere? Is this unique to this sector? I do not believe the answer will be "Yes”. How prevalent is something like this? How are the Government’s most recent announcements putting some confidence back, in place of the fears those who work in the sector may have about this being a viable career into the future?