Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Members will be aware, as the Ceann Comhairle is, that I have a grá for Irish culture and arts and I set-dance every so often. The impact the restrictions continue to have on this sector is frightening. While health and economic impacts are obvious, the reality of the situation extends way beyond and affects social and mental health and engagement between our Irish artists and culture.

I noted in her opening statement the Minister stated that 14,000 people in the cultural sector have applied for the pandemic unemployment payment. While I acknowledge that, many people in the sector are unable to get that payment because they may have another income from a daytime or part-time job. Of course, those over 66 are being denied everything everywhere, and many of them go into their late 80s and 90s in this situation with their grá for the teanga, rince, na ceolteoirí agus a leithéid. By its nature, many artists, music teachers and dance teachers might have a second, day-time job. As I said, that should be acknowledged and they should get some kind of payment.

The arts, music and dance offer an outlet for so many young people to express themselves and to flourish on a social level and the abrupt stop to all of this has had many impacts.

Social media has been a brilliant help in this regard, as has local radio. As other Deputies have mentioned, the online concerts and creations that have been published in the last few weeks have been uplifting. Many of them have raised funds for many good causes. One was a GoFundMe for the St. Mary's Choral Society in Clonmel, a wonderful society whose members do not know how it will survive. This group still has bills to pay every day for utilities, electricity, heat, light and everything else. How will it operate? Will funds be available for it?

Only as we approach our summer season will we truly realise the total decimation of our arts industry and events. I refer to the necessary but sad cancellation of festivals, exhibitions, shows and of course the fleadh season, which was due to begin with the local rounds, continue with the county and regional events and culminate in the massive international Fleadh Cheoil in late August. Ireland attracts tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world to witness our live music and cultural activities. Places like Brú Ború Heritage Centre in Cashel are famous, as is Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann with its summer seisiún shows. I refer also to GAA's Scór competition and An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha, which were unable to go ahead this year. I must also mention places like Jim O' the Mill, a renowned old public house in Upperchurch in Tipperary which only opens gach oíche Déardaoin. It hosts fabulous sessions, attracting queues that go out the door, entertained by Mr. Jim Ryan and his family. They have many visitors. One can see the awe in the tourists' eyes when they go to places like that. We used to have the same thing in the Thatch, a pub which is no longer with us. We are losing many of those, so we need to support them, because ní neart go cur le chéile.

Last month the 50th annual World Irish Dancing Championships were due to take place in Dublin, with an anticipated €10 million benefit to the economy of Dublin city and its surrounds. The Fleadh Cheoil season, including county and national events, is cancelled. I must declare an interest here. My own niece, Ms Kathy McGrath, runs the McGrath School of Irish Dance based in Caisleán Nua na Siúire. Some of the Minister's own family are from the wider south Tipperary and west Waterford area. It is her heritage as well. Like many others, my niece has done her best to provide virtual classes online, but I am sure the challenges that surround this are fairly obvious. The lack of physical engagement makes any practice much more difficult. The same goes for music lessons. It is hard to perform "The Siege of Ennis", "The Walls of Limerick", the old-time waltz or rudaí mar sin virtually. I will not say anything about the foxtrot for the moment.

Irish music and dancing is an industry in itself. Musicians, audiovisual providers, vendors, organisers and teachers are all affected. An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha has responded to this abrupt halt in activity by setting up a worldwide committee to deal with this unprecedented challenge to Irish dancing. It is not possible simply to start up where we left off on 12 March. That is the problem. The lack of extra cash that families will have to put into these activities when things reopen will be a huge issue. I appreciate the money that the Minister is committing to the Arts Council of Ireland, but we need to ensure that all these supports come through to the artists on the ground. This needs to happen and often it does not. Late last year we had problems with the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and money connected to it. We were not too pleased with what happened but it got back on track, thank God.

Before I finish I want to pay tribute to groups in my constituency that are keeping us entertained online during this lockdown. I refer to groups like Cahir Comhaltas, Ballycommon Comhaltas, the In Tune for Life Orchestra in Ballycommon, Mr. Aidan O'Donnell and Music Generation in Tipperary, Mr. Paul Lafford and the famous Ms Louise Morrissey who sings in nursing homes, organised as I noted earlier by Mr. Paddy Doheny. I also thank Mr. Paddy Doheny himself and Mr. John Allen for making the bookings. I refer to Garda Superintendent Eddie Golden, Mr. Ned Lonergan and many others. They give of their time out of the goodness of their hearts, with no calls for encores. This is their culture and heritage and they espouse it for all of us to see and enjoy. I really thank them and I hope the Minister will ensure that the funding trickles down to the ordinary people on the ground, na daoine beaga.

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