Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department continue to assist in the recovery of the tourism, sport, culture and entertainment sectors in the context of Covid-19 with particular reference to rejuvenating these sectors within the shortest timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47900/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant and ongoing impact on the operating landscape for the sectors my Department supports. Throughout the pandemic, I have been actively working with and for the sectors within my remit to ensure that they are supported. My focus for these engagements is both to find ways to support the sectors during the period of the pandemic as well as charting a path for their recovery after the crisis has passed. In this regard, I established a number of fora and taskforces where sectoral stakeholders brought their experiences, ideas and policy proposals to my attention. These include:

- Tourism Recovery Oversight Group;

- The Hospitality and Tourism Forum which I co-chair with An Tánaiste;

- The Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce;

- The Sports Monitoring Group and Expert Group on the Return to Sport;

- Live Entertainment Working Group;

- Night-time Economy Taskforce;

Many of the actions contained in the reports produced by the Tourism Recovery Oversight Group, Arts and Culture Recovery and the Night-Time Economy Taskforces’ are actively being implemented by my Department, in partnership with other Government stakeholders, and I consider these as essential inputs to our journey towards recovery.

Regular meetings of the Sports Monitoring Group at which NGBs provide up-to-date assessments of the status of their operations and the progress being made in relation to the resumption of their particular sports allow Minister Chambers and I to keep up to date on the ongoing COVID-19 impacts to the sports sector.

My officials and I have also engaged with stakeholders in the media sector in relation to the impact of COVID-19. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is reporting to me quarterly on the impacts of COVID-19 on the independent radio sector.

I am continuing to work with colleagues across Government to ensure that the sectors within my remit were provided with a range of financial supports and pandemic recovery measures. These include the horizontal measures of the PUP, EWSS and CRSS.

Within my own Department, tailored funding measures have been introduced to support all of the sectors under my remit, in specific response to the pandemic, as well as to reflect commitments in the Programme for Government and ongoing policy to support, empower and grow these sectors.

These measures include a range of funding streams for the live entertainment sector, an Adaptation Fund and a Business Continuity Scheme for the tourism sector delivered through Fáilte Ireland, a funding package for the sport sector, Gaeltacht supports and increased funding for the Arts Council.

The sectors under my remit are at the heart of our identity as a people and the pandemic has demonstrated very clearly the critical role they play in social and economic well-being. The resilience of these sectors, in the face of the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, has been remarkable, particularly as many were among the first sectors to close and are the last to return to full capacity.

Recognising that resilience and the hugely important role that these sectors play in Ireland's collective economic and social well-being, I will continue to work with the stakeholders to monitor the evolving situation and to work with my Government colleagues to support these sectors and, with officials and Government colleagues, to support a strong and stable recovery as we emerge from the pandemic.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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18. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has long-term plans to support the arts, music and entertainment sector should there be a prolonged period with fewer persons attending events than has traditionally been the case. [35872/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The arts, music and entertainment sectors were among the sectors to be hardest hit by the crisis and will be take longer to recover than most. I understand the devastating impact that Covid-19 has had on all areas of the arts and I have endeavoured to make sure that the voices of those in this sector have been heard. I have personally met with, and continue to meet with, a wide range of organisations and businesses. Officials in my Department are involved in ongoing and meaningful engagement with the numerous organisations and lobby groups in the sector. This ensures that I have the most up-to-date information to ensure appropriate supports are delivered for the sector.

The Arts Council is the agency through which Government support for the arts sector is delivered. In 2021, I allocated a record €130m to the Arts Council to provide for the sector. In addition, I have to date allocated €61.5m for a suite of measures designed to sustain and support the commercial sector in 2021. These measures incorporate:

- €25m Live Performance Support Scheme

- €14m Music and Entertainment Business Support Scheme

- €11.5m Event Sector Covid Support Scheme

- €5m for live performance delivered through the local authorities;

- €5m Capital Support Scheme

- €1m Patrick's Day Festival

I committed during August to securing a reopening plan for the sector through a clear roadmap for the sustainable reopening of activities in the live entertainment, culture and arts sectors.

At its meeting on 31 August, Government agreed on the return to outdoor and indoor events at the following capacity levels and with maximum available social distancing between groups:

- Indoors – for vaccinated/recovered people and accompanying minors- 60% capacity

- Outdoors - for vaccinated/recovered people and accompanying minors- 75% capacity

- Outdoors - for mixed groups of vaccinated/recovered and unvaccinated people – 50% capacity.

All restrictions on numbers attending events will be lifted on 22 October marking a dramatic and significant positive step for the arts, music and entertainment sector. In the interim, we are seeing increased opportunities for live performance everywhere throughout the State.

Additionally, further schemes are being launched this month to ensure that those in the arts and entertainment sector continue to have adequate supports pending the resumption of activity all across the performing arts.