Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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439. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17022/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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All tourism funding schemes are designed and operated by Fáilte Ireland as the National Tourism Development Authority. With specific regard to outdoor dining, Fáilte Ireland has today announced an Outdoor Dining Enhancement Scheme for developing outdoor dining capacity nationwide.

As the development and delivery of this Scheme is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, I have referred the Deputy's question to the agency to supply further information. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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440. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if eligibility for the live performance support scheme will be limited to ticketed or pay-in events only; if it will be available to fund events that will be free for the public; and if promoters, producers and venues that ordinarily organise or host non-ticketed live events and gigs will be eligible to apply. [17088/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As part of the recently announce €50 million suite of supports for the live entertainment sector, an allocation of €25 million is being made available under the Live Performance Support Scheme 2021. This scheme builds on the successful outcomes of the pilot Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS) in 2020, which provided thousands of days of employment to hundreds of musicians, actors, crew and technicians and the valuable insights gained. This new scheme is aimed at commercial venues, producers and promoters in the culture sector and will support employment and wellbeing opportunities across all genres and continued high quality artistic output for the general public.

Applications may be made for events that are both ticketed and non-ticketed and events that are free to attend or view. Applicants with a track record of organising non-ticketed live performance events are eligible to apply for this scheme. The Live Performance Support Scheme 2021 is now open for applications and will close on 14th April 2021 at 1pm. Further information in relation to this scheme can be found on my Department's website.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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441. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she is taking to ensure the entertainment and events industry is supported through level 5 restrictions and beyond; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17108/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I am acutely aware of the challenges facing those who rely on live performance to sustain their livelihoods on foot of necessary public health restrictions. The Government's response to the impact of the pandemic on the sector and the economy generally is comprised of a broad range of supports delivered across a range of Departments. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and the COVID-19 Restrictions Support Scheme form the principle elements of the Government's response. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment recently announced the Small Business Assistance Scheme for Covid (SBASC) as a further horizontal support across all sectors of the economy. SMEs and businesses in the non-funded live events sector are eligible to apply under this scheme.

I was pleased to recently announce a new €50 million suite of additional measures to further support those in the Live Entertainment Sector. As part of this suite, an allocation of €25 million is being made available under the Live Performance Support Scheme 2021. This scheme builds on the successful outcomes of the pilot Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS) in 2020, which provided thousands of days of employment to hundreds of musicians, actors, crew and technicians in tandem with a pipeline of high quality on-line much needed entertainment for Irish audiences.

The 2021 scheme is aimed at supporting employment and wellbeing opportunities across all genres and the continued production of high quality artistic output for the public. This scheme has been developed following consultation with the sector and is being managed directly by my Department.

An allocation of €5 million will be made available to local authorities for live performances in summer 2021 to animate town centres, should public health considerations permit. This will allow for the procurement by local authorities of performances by local performers. Performances can be recorded or streamed if health restrictions prevent live events. Local authorities will be encouraged to engage events companies to develop and deliver a programme of performances.

As a further support measure for those in the live entertainment industry, an allocation of €14m will be made available for a new scheme to make a contribution to the overheads of businesses, specifically musicians and related crew, that have been significantly negatively affected by COVID-19 and that do not qualify for other business supports. The main features of this new Music Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) will see support offered by way of two levels of flat payments:

- €2,500 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover of €20,000 - €100,000;

- €5,000 for businesses with a VAT-exclusive turnover in excess of €100,000.

Under the scheme, musicians, singers, lighting and sound crew and audio equipment suppliers - whether sole traders, partnerships or incorporated entities - operating exclusively within the commercial live entertainment sector will be eligible to apply. The scheme will open when the necessary administrative and IT systems are in place.

€5 million will also be made available for a scheme of capital supports for the commercial live entertainment sector. This will be applied to supporting the installation of high quality recording and streaming facilities in venues through a competitive grant application process.

Further information on the business and financial supports my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has in place to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis can be viewed at the following link

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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442. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to provide restart grants for bed and breakfasts in 2021 in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17286/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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In 2020, an €8 million Restart Grant Plus for B&Bs was funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Fáilte Ireland on their behalf. Applications for the two phases of the scheme closed in October and November 2020. A further round of that scheme is a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. More broadly in regard to future supports, the Government has committed to publishing a National Economic Recovery Plan which will consider more targeted measures to help re-boot those sectors, such as tourism, who will face particular challenges during the recovery phase when the economy reopens.

I have also received the first Report from the Recovery Oversight Group (ROG) on 15th February. The Group, which has been tasked with overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Tourism Recovery Plan, has identified a number of areas that require particular attention in the context of the survival and recovery of the tourism sector in Ireland. The recommendations from the first Report include proposals, many of which will benefit the B&B sector, relating to maintenance of the CRSS and EWSS; clear criteria around reopening; extension of the Local Authority Rates Waiver; extending the period for the 9% VAT rate; progressing insurance reform; and revising the Stay and Spend Scheme. A number of these supports, namely the CRSS, EWSS, and Rates waiver, have since been extended to end June 2021).

I have written to Ministers Varadkar, Donohoe and O’Brien and asked them to consider the Report and also brought the Report to Cabinet for information. I will keep the ROG report under consideration in the context of National Economic Recovery Plan and the development of additional supports.