Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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272. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which she has evaluated the totality of the losses suffered by the various sectors under the aegis of her Department arising from Covid-19 or other reasons; the action taken or proposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33491/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The COVID-19 pandemic has utterly changed the operating landscape for the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. I am continuing to review the situation with my Department and Government colleagues based on up to date information on the roll-out of the vaccination programme and the prevailing epidemiological situation.

I have been actively working with the sectors within my remit to ensure that they are supported during the pandemic. Throughout these challenging times I and my officials have kept in contact with a broad range of stakeholders and I have established a number of groups and taskforces to ensure that I have the most up to date information about the difficulties facing these sectors.

In response to the challenges facing the sectors, I have put in place a number of substantial measures to support and strengthen the sectors through 2021. These include inter alia:

- A €55m support fund for strategic tourism businesses;

- €50m support for live entertainment - a range of supports for live entertainment events to take place in 2021 in venues across the country, other measures to support music, and a new grant scheme for equipment;

- A separate €11.5m Events Sector Covid Support Scheme; 

- €130m for the Arts Council – a record level;

- Measures to support the Gaeltacht Summer college sector;

- Increased funding for sporting bodies of €88.5m provided last year, with Sport Ireland in ongoing communication with NGBs to assess financial needs for 2021.  

The Government’s recently announced Economic Recovery Plan sets out a framework for recovery as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and pays particular attention to sectors most impacted, such as tourism and hospitality, live events and the arts. The Economic Recovery Plan responds to the commitments made in the Programme for Government in charting a path to recovery from the challenge of COVID-19.

Under the Economic Recovery Plan, Government extended the period during which a range of horizontal and business supports will be available to enterprises and workers in all sectors of the economy, including Tourism, Arts and Culture, Sport, Media and those working in Gaeltacht communities. Key measures include:

- Extending the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS);

- Extending the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to 31 December;

- Extending the Pandemic Unemployment Payment beyond 30 June 2021;

- Extending the Commercial Rates Waiver to end-September 2021;

- Extending the 9% VAT rate for hospitality to September 2022; 

- Broadening of eligibility criteria for the Small Business Assistance Scheme for COVID-19, which opens the scheme up to businesses in non-rated premises; and

- A new, additional and more streamlined business support scheme to be introduced in September 2021, called the Business Resumption Support Scheme.

In addition, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and I have also agreed to deliver a separate €11.5m new fund for the entertainment industry, including festivals, conferencing and large events. This Events Sector Covid Support Scheme will support SMEs that are not eligible for the CRSS.

I am also delighted that the Economic Recovery Plan includes a commitment for Government to prioritise a Basic Income guarantee pilot scheme for artists. This was a key recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce, and I will bring forward a proposal following the report of the Arts and Culture Recovery Oversight Group in July.

I will continue to engage with stakeholders across my sectors to monitor the evolving situation and to work with my Government colleagues to support these sectors not just during this pandemic, but into the all important recovery phase which will follow it.