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

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis seo labhairt leis an Dáil faoin gcáinaisnéis agus faoin maoiniú de €1.082 milliún atá curtha ar fáil do mo Roinn. Is cinnte go bhfuilimid ag maireachtáil tríd an bpaindéim is measa le 100 bliain anuas. D'oibrigh mé go dian le mo Roinn ar an mbuiséad seo agus mé ag iarraidh a chinntiú go mbeidh maoiniú ar fáil chun daoine a choinneáil i mbun léirithe, seirbhísí turasóireachta a choinneáil beo, clubanna agus spóirt a chothabháil agus tuilleadh tacaíochta a thabhairt don Ghaeilge.

I welcome the opportunity to address the Chamber in regard to the 2021 Estimates of €1.082 billion for my Department, and to provide details of the substantial measures to support and strengthen the sectors for which I have responsibility, facilitated by this increased funding. The diverse range of sectors served by my Department have been among those most severely impacted upon by the Covid-19 pandemic. Employing many hundreds of thousands across the country, these are the sectors that thrive when people congregate to enjoy their leisure time together. They were the first to close as a result of the pandemic and they are likely to be among the last to return to full operation in the future. Our cultural institutions and theatres, our tourism destinations, pubs and restaurants, our sporting occasions and our Gaeltacht communities have all been severely hit since March. Many are shut or massively curtailed, yet these activities are the very ones which bring us all happiness and which are crucial for our physical and mental well-being.

The 2021 Estimates for my Department have been informed by ongoing engagement with sectoral representatives. The additional funding allocated will provide for a strong suite of significant measures as a robust and targeted response to this crisis. These measures will support resilience and recovery and ensure that Ireland can thrive once more on the global stage in the fields of tourism, culture, sport and linguistic heritage. These sectors, individually and cumulatively, are an integral part of the fabric of our society, most particularly in rural and regional areas, where they support economic activity and physical and societal well-being. Well-being is a core principle underpinning the Living with Covid plan and it will be fundamental to public confidence and resilience as we emerge from and manage the crisis over the longer term.

Total 2021 funding for the sectors supported by my Department includes €220.9 million for tourism services, with €55 million of this in respect of business continuity support for strategic tourism businesses. In addition, working with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, VAT relating to this sector will be reduced to 9%, which will improve the competitiveness and viability of businesses. In addition, the tourism sector will be able to avail of the cross-Government supports such as the Covid restrictions support scheme and the rates waiver extension.

I recently received the Tourism Recovery Plan 2020-2023, which points to the need for urgent measures to ensure the survival of tourism businesses while at the same time sowing the seeds of recovery. Budget 2021 delivers on the immediate priorities identified by the plan, and the additional funding will help to address the immediate concern of business survival while also looking to the future, with a focus on training and digitalisation supports. Combined with the reduction in the VAT rate, the Covid restrictions support scheme for businesses that have been severely restricted by public health measures and the continued waiver of commercial rates, the package of supports for tourism is a significant response to the existential impact of Covid-19.

Total funding for the arts and culture sector in 2021 is €331 million. The additional funding includes a 2021 allocation of €130 million for the Arts Council, a significant increase on its initial 2020 allocation of €80 million. This acknowledges the deep challenges facing the sector as a consequence of the Covid-19 crisis, as well as recognising the critical role that arts and culture play in our society. This additional investment empowers the Arts Council to help artists, art workers and art organisations come through this crisis and play their part in the national recovery.

Significant support has also been provided for live entertainment in the amount of €50 million. This will include measures for the commercial entertainment sector and will support live entertainment in venues across the country, building on a pilot scheme introduced as part of the July stimulus package. It will be complemented by the Covid restrictions support scheme being introduced by the Minister for Finance and, indeed, venues and ticket sales will respectively also benefit from the extended rates waiver and the VAT reduction.

Some €8 million is being provided to facilitate the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra to the National Concert Hall. This will be a significant step towards the objective of enabling the orchestra to be established as a world-class orchestra which will, with the National Concert Hall, provide a creative and imaginative programme strategy that will greatly enhance the offering of the combined organisation to the public.

The audiovisual industry has been one of the success stories of 2020, with on-screen success in the form of “Normal People”, but also its track record in maintaining output in the face of Covid-19. I am, therefore, very pleased to be able to increase Screen Ireland's funding by €9 million to €30.1 million in 2021.

Funding of €281.7 million will be provided for media and broadcasting in 2021 in recognition of the critical communication role of this sector during the current crisis. An additional €3.5 million is being provided to TG4 and the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra to the National Concert Hall, outlined already, will also have reciprocal benefits for RTÉ and is evidence of the synergies that can be brought to bear with the culture, broadcasting and media sectors now part of the same brief.

I am satisfied that the increased allocation for my Department in 2021 of €1.082 billion will allow for the continuation and enhancement of its very diverse but critical work programmes. As Minister, I intend to do everything possible to ensure that as we begin to emerge from the shadow of Covid-19, we will have a vital tourism industry, a vibrant arts and culture sector, a dynamic sports sector and media sector, and a landscape in which our language and our engagement with it can continue to grow and flourish.

Tríd is tríd, is cainaisnéis thar a bheith tairbheach í an cháinaisnéis seo d'earnáil na teanga. Is céim mhór eile chun cinn í an maoiniú de €14.8 milliún sa bhreis atá á sholáthar do phobal na Geltachta agus na Gaeilge. Tá a fhios agam gur chuir eagraíochtaí éagsúla ar nós Foras na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Conradh na Gaeilge fáilte roimh an mbuiséad seo inné. Tá an-suim agam agus ag an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Chambers, san earnáil seo. Táimid ag iarraidh bunsraith nua maoinithe a leagan síos don earnáil sa Roinn. Tá tuilleadh le rá ag an Aire Stáit faoin earnáil seo agus faoi earnáil an spóirt.

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