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

Senator Kyne asked if it will continue. It is our intention that the Code on the Road workshops will continue next year. It will be expected that the boards of organisations would formally adopt the code. Next month we hope to be able to publish an initial tranche of early adoptees of the code.

I reiterate Senator Warfield's thanks to the 1,300 brave people who responded to the survey that informs the actions outlined today and to the many people who have spoken out in recent years. They have been so courageous in speaking of their personal trauma in an effort to change it. The work of the committee, my officials, the Irish Theatre Institute, the Arts Council and fantastic organisations such as Mise Fosta and Fair Plé, which have engaged, are changing the situation for the better. I acknowledge that it was difficult and brave for those individuals to speak up.In response to Senators Black and Warfield, the Speak Up report referred to the lack of accountability for organisations perpetrating or covering up harmful work behaviours, and the Senators asked what kind of accountability I am putting in place to ensure they do not receive State funding. The majority of funding to the arts sector is done through the Arts Council and Screen Ireland, agencies that are independent in their funding decisions. Both the Arts Council and Screen Ireland are leading on this by modifying their conditions of funding so that organisations that are found not to be providing a safe working environment for artists and arts workers will disqualify themselves from future funding streams. That is the key action that may make people stand to attention. All employers and organisations in the sector are being encouraged to adopt the code. My Department officials are also in discussion with colleagues in government, including the Department of Justice, particularly on the third national strategy.

To return to the programme itself, as I have already outlined, the plan supports that Safe to Create platform. I encourage Senators to spread the word about it. The web address is safetocreate.ie. The well-being and support service provided by Minding Creative Minds is free and provides valuable advice, counselling, legal advice and a 24-hour trauma helpline. I urge Senators to tell everyone in the arts sector that this is here and it is free. It is a free and invaluable service. Based on our engagement with the sector, this is what they needed and wanted. On a training programme developed specifically for the arts and creative sectors on dignity at work issues, all the courses are free and online. On the code of behaviour I mentioned, the Code on the Road workshop roadshows, more research is key to keeping this up to date and to ensuring all the actions reflect what is needed as well as the monitoring and compliance. Since its launch on 5 October, the Safe to Create team has been working to embed dignity at work everywhere in the sector. For example, Ireland Music Week made the code of behaviour the pledge of its festival in October. This was valuable marketing to raise awareness of Safe to Create in the music sector. The Irish Theatre Institute was invited to speak about the Safe to Create programme at Theatre Forum's Tomorrow Together conference in Cork. The Arts Council has arranged an art form resource organisation meeting on 22 November, and the Irish Theatre Institute will present to that meeting about Safe to Create. The Arts Council is also looking at organising other Safe to Create meetings for its funded bodies in the first half of 2023. In the coming months, my Department and the Irish Theatre Institute will be working with its partners to implement and promote these supports to monitor the impact of measures taken and to collaborate with the appropriate agencies to build effective monitoring, accountability and oversight mechanisms for harmful behaviour in the workplace in the arts sector in Ireland.

I thank Senators for their contributions. I return to the brave people who made this change happen, those who work in the sector. Those contributions have been the catalyst of change the arts sector very much needed. I remind organisations to sign the code and individuals to do the training courses. The three dignity at work courses take about an hour each. We have made great progress, but this is the start of a journey that was badly needed to be taken. There is a lot still to be done in the sector and in the programme, and I am absolutely committed to it.