Written answers

Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Business Supports

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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287. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total monetary amount of non-repayable moneys provided by her Department through grants, funding supports, tax breaks or other means to businesses in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [3391/23]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, my Department operates a significant range of funding mechanisms across all Sectors, under my Department's remit, including supports to businesses to which the Deputy refers. Details of these funding mechanisms, including eligibility criteria, rates of payments and how to apply are published on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-tourism-culture-arts-gaeltacht-sport-and-media/

Details of funding allocations and awards are also published on my Department's website from time to time. An overview of each year’s funding activity is contained in my Department’s Annual Report. In common with all Government Departments, details of annual expenditure are also included in the annual Appropriation Accounts.

The Deputy will be aware, my Department provides this funding, to the various Sectors, primarily through the work of a large number of Agencies such as, Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, the Arts Council, Screen Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Sport Ireland, and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). Details of expenditure by these bodies, including supports to businesses, are available on the websites of the respective bodies concerned and also in their published Annual Accounts, which are subject to audit by the Comptroller & Auditor General.

I would also like to advise that details of 2023 allocations, across all Programmes for my Department, are available as part of the 2023 Revised Estimates and are published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: www.gov.ie/en/collection/e20037-revised-estimates/#2023

With regard to taxation initiatives, details of these initiatives, such as the reduced VAT Rate for Tourism Digital Gaming Tax Credit, are also available on my Department’s website.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption arising from the international situation, since the invasion of Ukraine last year, have had a significant impact on the operating landscape for the Sectors which my Department supports.In response to this, my officials and I have worked with a broad range of Stakeholders to ensure that the appropriate supports are in place to assist organisations, including businesses, in meeting these challenges. As outlined above, details of Programmes, Schemes and Initiatives, under my Department, have been published on my Department’s website and on the respective administering Agency websites. Businesses operating within those Sectors have also been able to access a range of horizontal business supports made available by the Government to enterprises across the economy.

Expenditure under additional schemes to support the live entertainment, arts and culture sectors introduced during the period specified by the Deputy, that are administered directly by the Department is summarized in the table below.

Programme/Scheme 2020 2021 2022
Music Industry Stimulus Package (MISP) €1.7m - -
Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme (MEBAS – MEBAS, MEBAS 2, Phase 2, MEBAS 2022). - €3.07m €2.3m
Live Performance Support Scheme (LPSS – Pilot, 2021, Strand II & Phase 3). €5m €25m €9.7m
Live Performance Restart Grants Scheme (LPRGS). - - €14.8m
Events Sector COVID Support Scheme (ESCSS). - €13.7m -
Commercial Entertainment Capital Grants Scheme. €1.7m €1.9m
Night Time Economy Support Scheme. - - €2m

I trust that this information is of assistance to the Deputy. Should the Deputy have any specific query in relation to funding provided to a particular business entity, my officials will seek to assist upon receipt of the relevant details.

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