Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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29. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress of the arts and culture recovery task force; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27359/20]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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41. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to ensure that all sectors of the arts, including the live entertainment industry, are represented on the Covid-19 arts and culture recovery task force. [27477/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 41 together.

I have appointed an Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce which represents the putting in place of a commitment in the Programme for Government.  The Taskforce is being chaired by Clare Duignan and its membership is drawn from a wide range of representation across arts, culture and events sector 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

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 report to me setting out 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.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.