Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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44. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applications that have been received under the music and entertainment business assistance scheme 2022, by local authority area or county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10153/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS) 2022 was launched as part of a suite of measures I put in place to support the live entertainment sector. MEBAS is a targeted support for self-employed performers and sole traders operating solely in the live entertainment sector who did not qualify for other business supports such as CRSS and who were significantly impacted by restrictions introduced to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, MEBAS supported over 1,000 such performers and live entertainment businesses. This includes self-employed individuals and sole traders, for example, musicians, singers, DJs, lighting and sound crew, and audio equipment suppliers.

Since it opened 672 applications have been received seeking funding of €2.6m, with every county represented. The numbers of the applications made per county, as requested by the Deputy, are as follows.