Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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29. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the need for supports for the country and Irish music industry and Irish artists following Covid-19 will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16588/20]

Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of measures being introduced to support small theatres which have experienced significant disruption due to Covid-19. [17282/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together.

My Department has been engaged with a wide range of stakeholders in relation to the impact of COVID-19. These have include both the traditionally subsidised arts and also commercial entertainment interests. In respect of the former, primary support for the arts in Ireland is delivered by the Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003.

The House is aware that in June, an additional €20m was allocated to the Arts Council, bringing its 2020 allocation to €100m. The Houses of the Oireachtas voted the Supplementary Estimate through earlier this month. The Arts Council has indicated that it will allocate a significant portion of the additional funding to bursaries and commissions to artists and arts organisations over the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, my Department has supported a range of initiatives to bring cultural and creative content to the public during the period of restrictions. These include Culture Ireland's Ireland Performs initiative, Other Voices Courage, Criunniú na nÓg, as well as the Hot Press Lockdown Sessions. These initiatives employed artists, musicians performing live as well as technicians and crew.

On the broad level of supports, in order to help many sectors including the Irish music and events industry to overcome the unprecedented challenges posed by Covid-19, the Government has put in place a package of supports that includes direct grants, low-cost loans, the write-off of commercial rates and deferred tax liabilities. A number of universal supports in place for all sectors including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme for employers which has been extended to 31 August. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been extended to 10 August. In addition to these there are jobseekers benefit and jobseekers assistance schemes as well as Jobseekers Assistance for Self-Employed Artists.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment that the Government will publish a series of actions to support the economy through the recently published July stimulus. In this context, the Government will, among other things, consider further additional measures that may be need to support a number of sectors including the arts and culture sector .

In addition, I will shortly appoint a taskforce for the recovery of arts and culture sector, including music.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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31. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider additional supports for local communities to hold replacement events in view of the cancellation of a number of festivals and other cultural events in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in recent months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17283/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My Department runs a Small Scale Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme. Funding available under this scheme is typically capped at €5,000. Full details of the scheme are available on my Department's website (). Applications for 2020 closed on 24th April 2020 and details of allocations may be also be found on the website ().

There were no applications from County Carlow or County Kilkenny to my Department's 2020 Small Local Festivals and Summer Schools Scheme.

The Arts Council fund a number of festivals in the county of Clare under its Festival investment scheme. All funding decisions can also be viewed on the Arts Council website (). Below is the list of festivals that the Arts Council funded in Counties Carlow and Kilkenny in 2019 under its programme Festival investment scheme.

The Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas - €10,000

Scoil na gCláirseach Festival of Early Irish Harp - €8,250

It is important to note that under the Arts Act, the Arts Council is statutorily independent in its funding decisions, therefore neither I nor my officials have any input into this funding.

Fáilte Ireland provide support to large scale festivals and participative events through its National Programme. At the start of the Covid crisis Fáilte Ireland immediately paid 50% of the festivals agreed funding within this programme. Fáilte Ireland is working with these festivals to establish whether or not the festival will go ahead and where appropriate develop revised programming. The remainder of the funding will be provided based on these revised programmes.

Fáilte Ireland also administer a Regional Festivals programme and funding under this initiative has been paid in full to the local authorities. It also runs an innovation programme for new festivals but this programme has temporarily been suspended and no new applications are being considered at present.