Vincent P Martin (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Seanad inniu. Safe to Create is a pivotal and much needed dignity at work programme for people in the arts sector which has been strongly promoted by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. Its goal is to impact change and the culture and practices of the arts sector in Ireland to provide safer working conditions for artists and arts workers. An article published last year detailed how approximately 10% of employees reported having been bullied or harassed in the workplace and that workplace bullying costs Ireland €239 million annually through lost productivity, not to mention the anguish and mental torture it can cause. The same study showed that workplace bullying can cause an increased chance of accidents occurring and increased consumption of alcohol, as well as putting a strain on personal relationships. A report launched by the Minister last year entitled, Speak Up: A Call for Change, found that 70% of people in the arts sector have experienced harmful workplace behaviours. It also found that freelance arts workers were more likely to face this than others and that people working in the dance sector were the most likely to experience harassment and bullying. It is therefore encouraging that the Minister has launched this initiative.

There has been wide consultation on the issue and it is brilliant to see the number of arts organisations that have already welcomed it. In particular the anonymous reporting system for artists will bring people comfort and empower them to report instances of bullying and harassment without fear. This support, as well as the well-being supports, access to legal advice, and a 24-hour trauma helpline will be a relief to people employed in the arts where these is often an unbalanced power dynamic.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media released a thorough report following publication of the Speak Up report and it is welcome that the Minister has acted on many of the recommendations within that report. I encourage all involved in the arts sector to look at the website and the code of behaviour, if they have not done so already, so they know what is expected of them and others they work with. I would also urge those who run arts organisations to sign up formally to the code of behaviour that is online to publicly declare their commitment to implementing it. This sends a strong signal to those working for and with them that bullying, harassment and intimidation are not tolerated in their organisation.

One aspect I particularly welcome in this initiative is the commitment to further research in this area. In Ireland, we sometimes fall into the trap of following policy-based evidence rather than evidence-based policy. This research, along with the Speak Up report and submissions to the Oireachtas joint committee will provide valuable information on the experience of those in the arts sector. We cannot solve a problem without knowing its full extent. The research will be carried out by the same team as the Speak Up: A Call for Change report team and will look into the intersectionalities of ethnicity, disability, and sexuality and their influences of harm within and across Ireland's arts sector. I look forward to the Minister continuing to engage further with the sector on those issues and to delivering real change. To conclude, as the Minister referred to in her opening remarks, the Safe to Create programme responds to a series of recommendations identified in the Speak Up report and is coordinated by the Irish Theatre Institute in partnership with the Arts Council, Screen Ireland and Minding Creative Minds. In my final conclusion I would like to acknowledge on the record of this House and convey huge thanks to every individual who responded to the initial Speak Up survey or who have ever spoken about harm they faced at work.