Written answers

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Covid-19 Pandemic

Photo of Cathal CroweCathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if touring caravans and motorhomes fall under the same Covid-19 restrictions as static mobile home parks, that is, once county border restrictions lift if camper van owners and so on can book pitches in campsites. [23669/21]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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From May 10th, mobile home and caravan parks may open to facilitate owners (and the households of such owners) accessing their own stationary mobile homes or caravans located on site. However, no shared facilities (e.g. toilet or shower blocks) should be opened and no tourism activities (e.g. rental of mobile homes or pitches) are permitted. Notwithstanding the fact that inter-county travel is now permitted, rental of accommodation services or pitches remains prohibited until June 2nd, subject to the public health situation at that time.

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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267. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when one-on-one personal training will resume; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24154/21]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Outdoor training activity, including 1 to 1 training, is currently permitted in groups of no more than 15 people.

In relation to indoor settings, subject to the prevailing public health situation, the Government has decided that individual indoor training activity may resume with effect from the 7th of June 2021.

All such training activity, whether indoors or outdoors, is subject to the application of public health measures and operational protocols and guidelines in this regard, including the activity mentioned by the Deputy, will be developed closer to the time. In that context, I would refer the Deputy to the websites of both Sport Ireland and Ireland Active for further details, which will be updated as required.

Photo of Paul DonnellyPaul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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268. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a clear direction will be given on the use of self-contained touring caravans in caravan parks once intercounty travel resumes. [24490/21]

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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272. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if clarity will be offered in relation to the reopening on 10 May 2021 (details supplied). [23664/21]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 272 together.

From May 10th, with the resumption of inter-county travel, owners of stationary mobile homes or caravans located in mobile home and caravan parks (and the households of such owners) are permitted to travel to their own stationary mobile homes or caravans. Also from May 10th, mobile home and caravan parks may open to facilitate such owners (and the households of such owners) accessing their stationary mobile homes or caravans. However, no shared facilities (e.g. toilet or shower blocks) should be opened and no tourism activities (e.g. rental of mobile homes or pitches) are permitted. Rental of accommodation services remains prohibited until June 2nd, subject to the public health situation at that time.

This information has been published on the gov.ie website.

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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269. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if clarity will be provided in relation to a matter (details supplied) regarding the organisation of golf following the announcement of the new plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23646/21]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery Plan 2021 – The Path Ahead, the Government has recently announced changes to the current public health restrictions, including a gradual return to sports.

Sport Ireland, which is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, has been engaging with the National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) in relation to the changes to the Level 5 restrictions and is providing guidance to NGBs as and when required.

The NGB for golf in Ireland, Golf Ireland, has, after engagement with Sport Ireland and the Expert Group on the Return to Sport, published a detailed guidance note on the practical issues arising for the return of golfing activity, which is available at the following website:

Golf Ireland can liaise further with Sport Ireland and the Expert Group on any additional queries to be addressed.

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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270. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has tracked the rate of closure over the years of live cultural venues nationwide; if initiatives are under consideration to address the matter; and if she foresees further closures after the lengthy disruption caused by Covid-19. [23649/21]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I do not have responsibility for the collection of data on company closures in any industry or sectors and my Department does not have statistics on the closure of business premises such as commercial cultural venues. The closure of incorporated entities and businesses is a matter for the Companies Registration Office and the collection of statistics is the responsibility of the Central Statistics Office.

In terms of supports, I was pleased to allocate €50 million this year for a suite of measures to assist the live performance sector. €25m was allocated to Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS 2021) which closed for applications on 14 April 2021. This scheme is aimed at commercial venues, producers and promoters in the live entertainment sector. Over 400 applications had been received by the closing date and assessment of applications to the scheme is underway.

LPSS 2021 builds on the successful pilot Live Performance Support Scheme 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.

Recent decades have seen the development of a nationwide infrastructure of venues and arts centres, many of which were initiated and funded by local authorities and the Arts Council. These centres are also supported through capital schemes largely operated by my Department. Capital funding schemes such as Cultural Development Incentives Scheme (CDIS), and the Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Schemes (ACCESS & ACCESS II) were developed by the Department in the past in order to construct and upgrade existing arts and culture facilities. The CDIS allocated almost €30m to 38 arts and culture organisations throughout the country from 1994 – 1999. Funding of over €88.4m was allocated to 121 arts and culture organisations throughout the country under these schemes (ACCESS - €45.7m; ACCESS II €42.7m).The first and second Arts and Culture Capital Enhancement Support Scheme – ACCESS and ACCESS 11 – were administered by the Department from 2000 and 2006 respectively. They were designed to assist the provision of high standard arts and culture infrastructure and enhanced access to the arts throughout the country. The schemes prioritised the enhancement and maintenance of existing facilities, and accordingly 70% of the funds available were directed towards the enhancement and/or refurbishment of existing facilities. Projects supported included the provision of new integrated art centres, theatres and studio space and the refurbishment of existing performance spaces. It has been widely acknowledged as a significant intervention in the provision of quality cultural space throughout the regions.

Details of projects under both these schemes can be viewed at the following link:

Arts Centres in this context include a range of venues organisations funded by the Arts Council which can be found at this link . Support provided to these arts centres by local authorities and the Arts Council is critical to ensuring that a stable and vibrant network can be maintained. Capital funding schemes operated by my Department continue to be focused on enhancing this existing stock of arts and culture centres throughout the country. Recent capital schemes are being informed by the strategic Review of Arts Centres and Venues commissioned by the Arts Council and CCMA, as well as the Arts Council's published Arts Centre Policy and Strategy 2019, which sets out its funding criteria for arts centres from 2020 onwards. This review of arts centres and venues can be accessed at the following link-

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