Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

129. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to allow creative technicians (details supplied) apply for Arts Council grants; the reason new applicants cannot apply for funding from the Arts Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30415/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Arts Council is the statutory body charged with supporting and developing the arts in Ireland. It is statutorily independent in its funding decisions and I, as Minister, cannot intervene in this function. The council received an initial allocation of €80 million in 2020. This has been increased to €130 million in Budget 2021, to allow the council to address the crisis in the sector. Among the measures introduced by the council in 2020 are new and additional bursaries and commissions, including supports for freelance artists and those looking to develop projects on a collaborative basis.

In addition to these measures, funding under the July stimulus and Budget 2021 aim to create opportunities for professional artists and creatives, and their support staff, through increased support for the Arts Council, live production, live performance and specific measures targeted at musicians. A key objective of this funding is to provide enhanced support for freelance arts workers who have been impacted severely by the Covid-19 public health emergency.