€50m in funding's been announced for the Live Events sector in light of the latest Covid-19 restrictions.
It includes 20 million euro to support gigs and concerts this month and in January which have had to cancel or reschedule due to limits on capacity of 50%.
There's also a €14m fund to continue to support stage performances through to June.
€1m has also been allocated for the St Patrick's Festival in 2022 after it was cancelled for the past two years.
Minister Catherine Martin says: "The live entertainment sector has been asked to shoulder a heavy burden with these new restrictions. This is not where we wanted to be but the epidemiological situation is such that we must try to reduce socialisation to manage Covid-19 case numbers over the coming weeks. I know audiences are still seeking live performance experiences after venues were closed for so long and I do not want to see stages going dark in the coming weeks. LPSS 3 will provide venues with the flexibility to decide if they will proceed with their events or reschedule and keep artists and crew employed.
"I am conscious of how important these pantomimes and seasonal musical theatre shows are for the businesses that stage them. I would like to see as many of these productions as possible continue even with 50% of the usual audiences. Families and children across the country look forward to these every year and it is important they go ahead now more than ever. I am committed to supporting the live performance and nightclub sector as they journey through a difficult and unprecedented phase of business operations. I know it takes many weeks and months to programme shows and tours. I am very pleased to announce the roll out of these schemes which aim to be as flexible and responsive as possible."
