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

On 19 June the then Government, having considered the expert public health advice provided by the national public health emergency team, approved the rephasing of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. Apart from some exceptions, most sectors were brought forward to phase 3, which began on Monday, 29 June. Museums, galleries, theatres, concert halls and other cultural outlets could reopen from that date but the current restrictions on a maximum of 50 people at indoor gatherings and 200 people at outdoor gatherings have been extended to 10 August. There is no denying that due to social distancing and public confidence issues, the reopening of live performance and entertainment venues will prove challenging. The Government is committed, in the context of budget 2021, to bring forward a national economic plan setting out our long-term approach to restore employment, and detailing how we will secure our public finances in a world where we must live with Covid-19 while driving our efforts to decarbonise the economy and prepare for the next phases of technological transformation.

The programme for Government also commits to establishing a cross-departmental task force to develop a clear approach, informed by the views of all stakeholders, to protect and sustain the arts and culture sector through the Covid-19 recovery and beyond, which in turn will inform the national economic plan. This task force will be established shortly. It will build on additional supports already provided in the form of the increase in Arts Council funding to €100 million this year. The additional €20 million was in line with the recommendations of the expert advisory group to the Arts Council, and of the National Campaign for the Arts' 13 point national arts recovery plan. The additional measures to be announced in the context of the July stimulus will further support employment-intensive activities within the sector. In all of these actions, the Government remains focused on sustaining the arts and culture sector through the challenges posed by Covid-19.

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