Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

What is Irish culture? Irish culture was music, dance, entertainment and drama. Five million euro will be handed out for musicians, but will that look after the entire segment of the industry? The Government is more interested in giving out a big lump of money to one agency than giving smaller payments to help people. People in the music industry contacted the Rural Independent Group today. I had a person on to me who could not afford to tax their vehicle.

Why not bring out something that will allow those people, even with the local pubs, which are opening up, to work? Music makes the people happy. It puts them into a good frame of mind and it is positive thinking. That industry has been closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and they see no outlet for them. It is about Irish culture and people providing entertainment, whether it is online or whatever. They should be given funding to allow them play their music online. Give them subsidies to allow them provide entertainment for people. That is what we want. We do not want one sector getting all the money and the one-person band, male and female, getting nothing. I do not want this money going to all the big people in the industry. I want it spread across the industry equally to ensure all of them get their fair share. In that way, Irish culture will be giving and they will be giving back. They need the Government's help and for that to be done in a positive way, but everyone needs to get a piece of the pie. The pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, has to be continued to allow them keep food on their tables.

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