Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and commend Senator Black on calling for the debate. I acknowledge her service to the industry and advocacy on its behalf in recent years. I also echo the request for the Minister to meet the Oireachtas group, although I am not a member of it. It has sought a meeting and Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I have also requested a meeting. We would appreciate that as well.

We have warned since the start of the pandemic about the potential impact on musicians and those impacts have been laid out here this evening and are very clear. People are struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. Their mental health is hitting rock bottom and talented artists are leaving the sector in their droves. Many cannot access the supports that are in place. I can think of big groups like Lankum and The Gloaming, whose success comes from standing on the shoulders of all those who perform in our pubs around the country. There was mention of MEBAS being introduced again in January and it seems to be the most successful scheme. It appears that will be needed far sooner in order for people to get through Christmas. People should not be in competitive or "dog eat dog" schemes, with scraps to be given by promoters, venues and producers. Many of the people in question are sole traders who rely on pubs and non-ticketed gigs, as I do on the small number of occasions I perform at this point.

I will give a minute to Senator Eugene Murphy if he wants. In the time I have left I will mention the basic income scheme. There are so many outstanding questions and I wonder what the purpose and design of the scheme will be. There is to be €25 million spent and the scheme is not means-tested and so on. Is that the best way to spend this money? I want to see some type of scheme that gives a weekly payment and we have called for a living wage pilot scheme in the past, although I am not sure about the planned scheme. I am worried it will be rushed and I am not sure the scheme that is planned is what is required. Is that the best way to spend €25 million? I am just not sure and I do not want to see a rushed scheme that ends up really dividing artists and the arts sector.