Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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27. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he plans to take to assist events businesses which are very seriously affected by Covid-19 to survive financially through the crisis taking into account their importance economically, socially and culturally to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15664/20]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In a reply earlier, the Tánaiste referred to getting businesses going again. Some businesses by their very nature, however, will not be able to get going until next year. The events business is one of those businesses that involves crowds by definition, in many cases at big outdoor events but also big indoor events. I refer to everything from weddings right to music events in Croke Park, St. Patrick's Day parades, etc..

What are we going to do to sustain during this period businesses, such as events businesses, where opening is totally dependent on health advice? Once things get back to normal, or whatever the new normal will be, we are going to need those events businesses. We often see the musicians, but sometimes we do not see the people who make all the events happen.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and its agencies have been focused on coming up with solutions to help businesses overcome the challenges presented by the arrival of the Covid-19 virus. I recognise the difficulties and concerns that events businesses are facing and those businesses that rely on events companies for trade shows, exhibitions, events etc.. to promote and sell their products.

Ensuring that measures are in place to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 at organised and ticketed events with members of the public attending is first and foremost a public health concern. The Deputy is correct, however, to identify the real concern regarding the number of people working in the events industry. Last week, I met representatives of the Event Production Industry Covid-19 Working Group, EPIC. It is a new group, as the Deputy will be well aware of, because its representatives outlined how helpful he has been since its formation. The group represents 3,500 full-time and 15,000 part-time employees.

The Deputy is correct that 2020 is a write-off for these companies because of the magnitude of the events in which the industry participates. They are now facing the issue of skills retention, as well as issues in respect of brand Ireland because these companies promote Ireland in St. Patrick's Day parades, the new year's eve festival, etc. It is important that the July stimulus recognises that this is also a critical sector of the economy. As the Tánaiste said earlier, the July stimulus will be ambitious, it will look at how we can protect employees and it will look at how we can expand the restart grant to accommodate people not normally accommodated. I also refer to the credit guarantee scheme enabling businesses such as event companies to refinance. I met them in that context, but I also asked officials in my Department to meet the representative groups in the days to come to see how we can support this industry in the future.