Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Jackie Cahill and Christopher O'Sullivan, who will have five minutes each.

Covid-19 has had significant ramifications for our economy and the livelihoods of every person living in the State. It is difficult to think of a sector that has been hit as quickly or as harshly as those working within the creative industries. The closure of our arts centres and exhibition spaces has meant that artists have no outlets to show or sell work. The closure of theatres has meant that actors and production staff have no income. The closure of venues has meant that musicians have no income. With the closure of cinemas, film release dates have been pushed back and regulations have stopped all productions currently in the pipeline. This is only a snapshot of the array of people and sectors impacted.

With social distancing requirements likely to be a part of life for the foreseeable future, the arts community will be one of the last to return to normal. We need to think outside the box in terms of how to support the sector. The Arts Council survey established that over the past number of months we have lost an estimated audience of 2.4 million people. Over 12,000 arts activities have been cancelled, more than 112,000 tickets have been sold for activities that will not be taking place, over €3.85 million has been invested in activities that have been cancelled and postponed and potential income of €6.4 million has been lost from activities that were cancelled.

The schemes announced by the Government aimed at supporting artists at this critical time have been, frankly, pathetic. The commitment pales in comparison to the provision made by similar sized countries for artists. During the most recent recession, we failed the arts community. We cannot allow this to happen again. The arts are critical to our well-being and economy. The sector needs to be properly resourced and supported at this time. The National Campaign for the Arts, NCFA, expressed its dismay at the lack of vision shown by the Department in regard to the arts.

The NCFA has pointed out that Arts Council England has made £160 million of emergency funding available to arts organisations and individuals who need it during this crisis. The Welsh equivalent has allocated £7 million. The German Government has announced an aid package of €50 million for the country's creative and cultural sector. It is critical that we have a co-ordinated national plan for the arts at this time. The Department must show leadership in this regard, together with supports for the Arts Council and our local authorities.

At this time of crisis we must protect our arts practitioners from an already difficult situation becoming impossible. The Covid-19 crisis response award announced by the Government has been heavily criticised as it requires artists to create new work simply to justify their applications for economic assistance during this crisis. This has not been the case in other sectors. In the words of the journalist, Una Mullally, artists are offered pocket money and treated like jesters. The feeling of hopelessness has been compounded by these paltry and insulting supports.

The response of Angela Dorgan, chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, NCFA, was that:

we are devastated as a sector. Artists are the people providing distraction, context and relief. We are all reading books, we are all watching films, we are listening to music, we are talking about how great it is that we can turn to the arts, yet the artists are once again being abandoned.

Members of the arts community have watched their livelihoods being dismantled during the Covid-19 pandemic. All public gatherings have been cancelled, including festivals, exhibitions, concerts, plays and tours. All performances have been cancelled indefinitely. Public health guidance, however, encourages us to turn to the arts and culture for our mental well-being and escapism during these difficult times. Is the whole country not talking about the beautiful work of art that is "Normal People" by Sally Rooney and Lenny Abrahamson? I rest my case.

Many artists in the PAYE sector are outside of the eligibility criteria for the pandemic unemployment benefit. Many artists were not working immediately before 13 March 2020 and were not made unemployed at the time and, therefore, are disqualified. Many were due to start work shortly after that date in March or during the summer. This planned work has now disappeared as a result of the regulations put in place on the basis of public health advice. Consideration must be given to the establishment of a support fund specifically for artists. The nature of the work of those in the creative industries is such that it is not possible to meet eligibility criteria designed for standard employment contracts and arrangements. The Minister needs to commit to artists and arts workers affected by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis via the pandemic unemployment payment by extending it until the end of the year. The Government should immediately commit to releasing artist workspace grants for 2020 and increasing funds available under the scheme for 2020.

Arts and culture are the cornerstones of our society and are parts of our DNA. We need our artists and cultural institutions more than ever as a key component of rebuilding the country. It will take leadership from the Minister's Department to fight their corner. If I were to ask the Minister for one thing during this discussion, it would be for her to talk to and engage with the artists and set out a collaborative roadmap of which they are a part and which would give them some sense of the Minister's vision for their future. I ask the Minister to listen to them because they are the creators and inventors and they know what needs to be done to facilitate the restart of the creative industries. Otherwise, there is a risk of an existential threat to artists and the creative industries. Their future is in the Minister's hands.

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