Minister hoping fund will 'trickle down' to entertainment workers
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Arts minister Catherine Martin is hoping that a €50m fund for the live entertainment industry will "trickle down" to musicians, stage crew, and other workers.
The grant will be given to venues and promoters and will subsidise the cost of staging live events while allowing for social distancing.
Ms Martin said that "further engagement" with stakeholders is needed on the scheme, but those claiming the support must provide evidence they are creating employment.
She added the fund is being set up to ensure musicians, technicians, and venue staff who work are paid, but is also designed to subsidise ticket sales revenue due to the restrictions on the number of people allowed to attend events during Covid.
The €50m fund is a follow-on from a pilot scheme announced as part of the July stimulus package which provided grants of between €10,000 and €800,000 to allow venues to stage live productions.
Meanwhile, the hospitality sector and other businesses impacted by the pandemic can get rebates of up to €5,000 a week under the new Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS).
A further €5m will go towards training those in hospitality and investing in digitalisation to prepare the sector for a post-Covid economy.