Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is important that we all recognise the devastation of the arts industry, including writers, performers, musicians, technicians, planners, participants and the wider community. We have relied on the arts to soothe our souls. Those who create and work in this space have faced more sacrifices than most. In Carlow, we are fortunate to have the VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, one of Ireland's leading contemporary arts spaces in Carlow town which opened in 2009 and comprises a beautiful gallery and performance area. It is an incredible amenity.

VISUAL houses a 335-seat theatre and the largest white cube gallery space where it produces a programme of commissioned and existing high-quality national and international contemporary arts and a host of performance of events in multiple disciplines, including theatre, dance, film, comedy, literature and music. In terms of values, inclusion and collaboration is at its core. The community in Carlow and Ireland have been gifted so much from this centre. In its mission statement, VISUAL commits to identifying and removing physical, social and economic barriers to accessing its work and to support, foster and provide opportunities for arts participation in our communities. However, a larger barrier to completing this work is a lack of funding. The unprecedented and ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic has been a great disaster for Ireland's arts. We need to examine ways to repair that damage to ensure that future generations get to enjoy all we have enjoyed.

Covid-19 has taken over our lives but it will not be with us forever. We need to prepare for that brighter day, the day when the children cut class for the pantomime at Christmas, the day when a new writer launches a book to a massive audience, the day local groups open the curtain on their plays on opening night and the night artists see their curated work displayed for the first time. These are times we have seen and, surely, times we will see again but they do not come free of charge. I ask the Minister to consider putting in place a funding stream for VISUAL, one of Ireland's leading contemporary arts spaces. VISUAL is an €18 million development and a joint project funded by the local authority with a grant of €3.17 million from the former Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism under the access programme. Carlow County Council and the Arts Council have provided funding over the past few years but Covid-19 has affected the resources of all local authorities and the arts.

The centre makes regular funding applications. We can support it in its work by bringing it under the aegis of the Minister's Department and provide it with an allocation from arts funding. This is important. I extend an invitation to the Minister to visit VISUAL in Carlow when the level 3 restrictions have been lifted. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the town. The service is provides to Carlow county and town and throughout the country is unreal but it needs funding. I welcome the establishment of the task force mentioned earlier by the Minister, which is important. I also welcome the 30% increase in the Department's budget, which now stands at €239 million.

There is a particular area I am concerned about. Over the past few months, I have been contacted by many artists and musicians. I am not sure if the Minister is aware of The Backline, which featured on "Nationwide" two or three weeks ago. I met them with the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan. These are musicians and singers based in Carlow-Kilkenny. They are fabulous and they play online to support front-line workers. The forum hosts online concerts most weeks. They are exceptional. When I raised the issue of funding for them with the Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, I was told no funding stream is available to them. This has created significant issues for me in my area. These musicians and singers are very talented but they do not qualify under any specific funding scheme. I hope the Minister saw them on "Nationwide". If not, I will forward some clips to her of their online concerts. We need to see how funding can be provided for them. That is the reason I raised the issue of the task force with her. I hope that funding will be provided for musicians performing online, who range from young teenagers to members of our older population. The Backline meet all the criteria and they work with musicians from all around the country. I ask the Minister to consider the provision of funding for them.

I have also been contacted by many dance schools in my area. While schools remain open, I am concerned that music and dance schools cannot open. We must urgently review this because arts education is as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. Dance schools, including Irish dance schools, have contacted me. Again, the operators of these schools do not qualify for any funding stream while out of work other than the PUP. I ask the Minister to consider providing a once-off payment to help musicians, artists and so on. We have a great culture. Arts is our culture. We are proud of our musicians, singers and everyone else in the music business. Now, more than ever, we need to support them. We need to look after them. I know from my dealings with them that some of them have mortgages they cannot afford to pay, they have families and they are under pressure.

I thank the Minister for being present I know she will do her best in the context of the upcoming budget, but I ask her to take consider the groups that are in need of funding.

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