Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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20. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if supports will be made available to the tourism sector in view of the July stimulus package (details supplied); and if he will grant support to bars, restaurants and hotels to help them make their premises Covid-19-safe. [15750/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I am acutely aware of the enormous and unprecedented challenges which face the tourism sector as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Almost all tourism businesses were initially required to close in order to comply with the necessary public health measures introduced. Many have since reopened but, unfortunately, the majority of businesses are operating with significantly reduced levels of turnover compared to 2019 as a result of ongoing public health measures and the almost complete absence of overseas tourists coming into the country. This has meant that many jobs in the sector have been lost or are vulnerable.

Along with my colleagues in Government, I have taken a number of measures to help the sector survive this current crisis. The July Stimulus Package introduced significant measures to help support businesses to recover following the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Some of the key measures for tourism and hospitality include the “Stay and Spend” initiative, the €26m adaptation grant, the €10m grant for coach tourism and the revised Restart grant which now includes B&B’s.  Tourism enterprises will also benefit from wider horizontal supports such as the new Employment Wage Support Scheme, liquidity and enterprise investment measures, warehousing of tax liabilities and the extension for a further three months of the waiver of commercial rates.

As part of its response to Covid-19, and to drive bookings for short breaks and holidays in Ireland in 2020, Fáilte Ireland has invested in a number of domestic holiday campaigns since June of this year.  I have seen at first hand that these campaigns have been successful in getting Irish people to holiday at home.

All of these measures have helped the sector. I appreciate, however, that severe challenges remain and we need to continue to examine ways to ensure that businesses survive and recover. The Tourism Recovery Taskforce appointed in May has just submitted its report to me. It is making a number of recommendations to help the sector to survive the crisis and eventually recover. Along with my colleagues in Government, I will consider its recommendations as we prepare for the Budget and the subsequent National Economic Plan.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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21. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason no additional funding has been announced for the live events sector since the July Stimulus; and the reason it took until September 2020 to provide an application mechanism for that funding. [27394/20]

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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35. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way in which she plans to support the live gig industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27393/20]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if further urgent consideration will be given to the detailed requests of the events and entertainment industry for adequate financial support for the sector in view of the very severe and ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector and the loss of employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27423/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 28, 35 and 46 together.

I am acutely aware of the unprecedented nature of the challenge facing live performance promoters and producers, not least from a financial point of view.  The Government July Stimulus was announced on 23 July.  My Department has reached out to representative groups for a wide range of stakeholders in the entertainment sector, including representatives of professional musicians and independent venues,  to ensure that the measures made available reached as wide a base as possible.  On 9 September, I launched a number of new music and performance support schemes which made a total of €6 million available to assist in the provision of employment in the creative industries. 

The Music Stimulus Package, involves three funding schemes designed to help sustain the popular and commercial music sector across all music genres, including rock, pop, hip hop, indie, jazz, country and western and traditional and folk.  Under this package, a fund of €1 million has been put in place to stimulate areas of work which artists would usually fund with income from own sources including live event fees.  These schemes are targeted at professional musicians and their teams and will support song writing camps, recording and album releases.  The aim is to ensure that Irish musicians, engineers, PR, media, agents, labels and publishers can continue to develop and share their work in the context of COVID restrictions. The Music Stimulus Package schemes are being managed on behalf of the Department by First Music Contact and will be subject to peer panel assessment.

Under the “Live Performance Support pilot Scheme” a further allocation of €5 million is being made available which aims to assist commercial venues, producers and promoters of live performances and provide employment to workers in the creative industries.  Applications were accepted by my Department for this scheme and allocations will be made on the basis of the number of people being employed.

In the meantime, I have appointed an Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which represents the putting in place of a commitment in the Programme for Government to ensure that survival of recovery of this very important sector.  The Taskforce will be chaired by Clare Duignan and membership is as follows:

- Arts Council

- Business to Arts

- Council of the National Cultural Institutions

- County and City Management Association (CCMA)

- Department of Health

- Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht

- Department of Social Protection

- Ealaín na Gaeltachta

- Events Industry Alliance

- Irish Congress of Trade Unions

- National Campaign for the Arts

- Irish Music Rights Organisation

- Irish Theatre Institute

- Screen Ireland

- Screen Producers Ireland

- Denise Chaila

- Martin Hayes

The Taskforce will prepare a report for the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht including a set of recommendations on how best the arts and culture sector can adapt and recover from the unprecedented damage arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.  The sector includes culture, the arts, the audiovisual industry and the live entertainment industry.  Taking as its starting point, the research and evidence of the devastating impact of the pandemic on the sector compiled by the Department, the Arts Council and other stakeholders, the Taskforce will:-

- adopt a solution-focused approach;

- seek sector-specific expert input and consult with stakeholders;

- invite additional individuals or expertise to attend meetings on an ad hoc basis, as it deems necessary;

- focus on providing intelligence and recommendations for an expected on-going and varying impact of COVID-19 restrictions;

- identify immediate and medium term goals for recovery and sustainability in the sector;

- identify possible policy initiatives or impediments to a robust sustainable recovery in the sector;

- recommend whole of Government policy initiatives and actions to support the sector;

- report to the Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht by the 31 October 2020 in order to provide the Government with an action-plan for the sector.

The taskforce has already met twice.  Its proceedings will be conducted in a transparent manner and all correspondence will be published in due course.