Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Senator Warfield, for allowing me to speak next in case we run out of time. The Minister is very welcome to the Chamber. This is a critical debate. As the Minister can imagine, I am very concerned about the music industry. We need to act now to save the music and live entertainment industry in this country. Some action has to be taken.

The long and short of it is that music and live entertainment are an intrinsic part of what it means to be Irish. They are so much part of who we are and we cannot imagine life without them; I certainly could not. I do not think anybody in this Chamber could imagine life without the music industry, but we may have to if immediate action is not taken to save it and the people employed in it. We might have to say goodbye to the music industry because of the way it is going at the moment. The reality is that musicians I know are leaving the industry because they cannot survive on no money and they are not earning. When I talk about music and live entertainment, I need to be clear that I am not talking about international touring acts playing in multi-thousand seat venues in Dublin, Cork or Galway. I am talking about the music that is written, learned, performed and enjoyed on this island in pubs, bars, small theatres and venues. It is the lifeblood of Irish music and without it we do not have a music and live entertainment industry.

We need to remember that this industry is made up of people. The music is written and played by people who have dedicated their entire lives to perfecting their craft, which makes an invaluable contribution to Irish life. These are people whose livelihoods have been completely decimated over the past two years, who have families that they are struggling to provide for and who cannot afford their Santa Claus presents. I am getting upset because I have to listen to what the reality is. It is horrendous. A man sat in front of me this week who was completely and utterly broken. His gigs were all cancelled, he has no money and he cannot get the PUP. Even if he did, some people only get €200. How can anyone survive on that?

All I am asking is that the Minister listens to those in the smaller sections of the music industry. I am asking her to please listen to the musicians. The cross-party Oireachtas committee has asked for a meeting with the Minister twice. We got no response. We just want a little respect. That is all it is; respect and dignity. I have been in the music industry for years. I know what it is like to be disrespected. I have gone through it and did my apprenticeship. The Minister is a good woman and has a good heart. She knows what it is like because she is a musician. I am asking her to please listen to what musicians have to say. I ask her to please just talk to them and listen to what they are saying.

The stories people tell me speak to the reality of the experiences of those employed in the music and live entertainment industry. The Minister has worked very hard on this, but I am concerned that the supports that have been committed by her Department are somewhat misplaced. They are not getting to the heart of the problem and the suffering of people directly employed in the music and live entertainment industry. The moneys committed to the industry as a whole are welcome but they are not reaching the people they need to reach. I work with those people all the time. The LPSS is a competitive scheme targeted at venues and promoters. I am sure the funding awarded to venues and promoters under this scheme is very welcome. However, for every venue and promoter that got the funding there are likely to be twice as many that did not. Why are we relying on competitive schemes to support an industry as important to us as this? It is the lifeblood of who we are in Ireland. Imagine the uproar if, during the pandemic, support for other industries, such as hospitality, was provided through competitive schemes. Why do we not treat the music and entertainment industry with the respect it deserves?

I have so much to say but my time has run out. I am sorry we did not have much longer for this discussion. What will the Minister do for all the musicians who have no money today? They are facing into Christmas, cannot get their Santa Claus presents and cannot pay their mortgages and heating bills. What can the Minister do for them today? I would love an answer to what the Minister will do for them today and for the next month. That is all. I know that the Minister has all these schemes, and that everything is together and it has been wonderful, but it is not enough. I ask the Minister to please meet the musicians and talk to them. They want to talk to her. I understand she might be annoyed and frustrated but I am asking her to please talk to them.