Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising the issue. The welfare and well-being of professional actors and other creative professionals are important in terms of the status of the arts. In general, if an unemployed person has a particular job such as acting, it is understood initially by the deciding officer that he or she will try to obtain further employment in his or her specific area. However, if over a long period the individual is unable to find such employment, it is reasonable to encourage him or her to look to other areas. That has certainly happened frequently. People may engage in other activities, ranging from other forms of artistic work to teaching, for example. I do not want to be prescriptive. For many of those involved in the acting profession, there are certain possibilities. It is important that actors be encouraged to take up employment.

In the development of the Intreo services we could probably be of specific assistance in that we will be examining education and training as part of work experience. If a person has a particular profession such as acting, the case officers working in the Intreo offices will possibly be best placed to help. A couple of months ago I was very happy to reach an agreement with the Arts Council, through the county arts administrators, to arrange for JobBridge opportunities in the arts. The initiative was launched in Killarney a couple of months ago and a number of arts officers in different counties have been extremely active. Some of the activity pertains to festivals. If the Senator wants to submit more detailed suggestions to me, he should do so. If somebody is unsuccessful in the acting profession and resting for a longer period than expected, it is reasonable to provide a mechanism to assist him or her. With the rolling out of the Intreo offices, I hope this is what will develop.