Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there are financial supports available for business owners that have ceased renting out their self-catering properties due to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39407/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Budget 2021 included a number of substantial measures to support and strengthen the tourism sector and are supplemented by the economy-wide business supports and social welfare measures.

€55 million has been provided for Business Continuity Schemes for strategic tourism businesses to help them survive through the pandemic and be there to help drive the recovery. Combined with the COVID Resilience Support Scheme (CRSS), the VAT cut and the rates waiver, the Government is helping to sustain businesses that have been most severely affected by the necessary public health restrictions.

Tourism enterprises including self-catering accommodation enterprises can also benefit from wider horizontal supports such as the new Employment Wage Support Scheme, liquidity and enterprise investment measures and warehousing of tax liabilities.

Fáilte Ireland has created an extensive range of business supports to guide self catering businesses to operate during COVID-19. These have been developed in consultation with industry experts and are available on Fáilte Ireland’s website.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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236. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports available for community theatres that have been closed due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39286/20]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Primary support for the arts, including theatre, is delivered by the Arts Council, funding for which has increased steadily in recent years and will reach €130 million in 2021. The Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003, operates within a published ten-year strategic framework entitled Making Great Art Work. The Arts Council supports and develops theatre in Ireland through grant funding, project awards, support to individual artists, and support to venues, publications and resource organisations. Further details can be accessed on the Arts Council’s website as follow .

My Department operate a number of capital investment schemes in respect of cultural venues such as theatres. Applications under the Cultural Capital Scheme 2019-2022 are currently being accessed. This scheme focuses on enhancing the existing stock of arts and culture centres that operate as not-for-profit organisations throughout the country and that have a clearly defined arts and culture focus. This scheme has a particular emphasis on the reduction of carbon footprints to dovetail with the Government’s action on climate change. The Scheme builds on the success of the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme 2016-2018 which saw grants allocated to 134 organisations in 26 counties to refurbish and enhance their facilities. This funding is provided from a €40m capital investment allocation for local arts and culture infrastructure contained in Project Ireland 2040.

Assessment and final decision on applications were delayed and put on hold as a result of COVID-19 with my Department opening Stream D, a further stream of funding under this overall scheme. This was specifically for capital adaptations or equipment necessary to assist arts and culture organisations in re-opening. Under Stream D, capital funding is provided to assist in the re-opening of theatres, arts centres and culture venues as part of Project Ireland 2040. The measures are designed to support arts and culture facilities in preparation for staff, artists and audiences returning to venues to reopen in line with the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business as well as the Return to Work Safety Protocols. There is a high degree of flexibility which will allow organisations to undertake necessary capital adaptations to their buildings so that they comply with the HSE COVID-19 related public health protection measures. Not-for-profit organisations with a clearly defined arts and cultural remit can apply for Stream D. Further details of these schemes along with eligibility criteria and other information, can be found at this link

The Deputy has made specific reference to community theatres and may wish to also know that the Department of Rural and Community Development funds a range of programmes and schemes to assist in rural and community development which are available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country. These schemes provide funding, support and assistance to communities at local level and include the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the LEADER programme; the Community Enhancement Programme, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme; the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Community Services Programme. Details of how to apply for these schemes are on the Government's website at the following link