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

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the report of the arts and culture recovery task force, which was a commitment in the programme for Government, was published this week. The report included a recommendation that a universal basic income be piloted for a three-year period in the arts sector. I very much welcome this report and thank the task force members for their time, expertise and commitment.

The task force has made ten recommendations to aid the survival of the sector during Covid-19 and beyond under three themes: ensuring recovery; building resilience; and facing forward. The ten recommendations seek to protect livelihoods, which is what the universal basic income pilot involves; mitigate income loss; ensure fair play for the makers of creative content; secure the viability of the live events industry; sustain local authority capacity to support arts and culture; ensure well-being; build sectoral capacity; make space for arts and live entertainment; provide more outdoor public spaces for cultural events; and address the environmental impact of arts, culture and event activities. The task force report is extremely beneficial to the Government as we examine ways to help the arts and culture sector to emerge from this unprecedented position. I will shortly establish an oversight committee for the appraisal of the task force's recommendations.

On a broader level, the Government has already responded to the challenges facing the sector through a number of recent measures. Some €25 million was provided in June, including €20 million for the Arts Council, as well as additional supports for regional museums. A further €29 million was announced in the July stimulus, including funding for the Arts Council, Screen Ireland, our national cultural institutions, a music stimulus and supports for live performance. Significant additional funding was announced in budget 2021, with €130 million allocated to the Arts Council for 2021 and €50 million for supports for life performance. Tens of millions of euro in supports have been provided to those impacted in the arts, culture, performance and events sector through the pandemic unemployment scheme and various wage subsidy schemes. Some people in those sectors have also availed of the commercial rates waivers and may avail of the Covid restrictions support scheme.

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