Mick Wallace: Ireland's Arts Recession and EU Culture Funding
Mick Wallace criticised Ireland's low cultural investment and called for targeted recovery funding after COVID and amid the cost-of-living crisis. He supported a motion backing the resilience and post-crisis recovery of the EU's cultural ecosystem and noted the Creative Europe Programme increase to £2.4 billion for 2021-27.
Motion and vote
He voted in favour of a motion to support the resilience and post-crisis recovery of the EU's cultural ecosystem and welcomed measures aimed at cultural sector recovery.
EU funding increase
He highlighted a significant rise in the Creative Europe Programme budget to £2.4 billion for the 2021-27 period, noting it is almost double the previous amount.
Ireland's arts recession
He warned that, despite EU funding increases, Ireland remains in the bottom rung of European investment in culture and described an "arts recession" following the COVID crisis.
Need for targeted recovery funding
He argued there is a desperate need for robust recovery mechanisms with targeted funding to protect livelihoods in the cultural sector during the cost-of-living crisis.
Repeated warning about support
He repeatedly emphasised the phrase "We love to talk about the arts in Ireland" to underline his point that public rhetoric is not matched by financial support, and he stressed the consequences for jobs, tourism and regional development.
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The next speaker is Mr Wallis. Thank you again, President. This motion talks about supporting the resilience and post-crisis recovery of the EU's cultural ecosystem as a whole, and I was very happy to vote in favour of it. There's been a significant increase in the Creative European Programme budget to £2.4 billion for the 2021-27 period, almost double the previous amount. However, despite this increase in funding, Ireland remains in the bottom rung of European investment in culture, sadly. As one of the hardest-hit sectors by COVID, the arts and cultural sector in Ireland has seen far-reaching and damaging consequences in terms of jobs, tourism and regional development. There is basically an arts recession in Ireland. In the cost-of-living crisis in Europe, it's more timely than ever to ensure the livelihood of people working in the cultural sector. There's a desperate need across the board for robust recovery mechanisms with targeted funding if anything is going to change. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland, but we don't love to support it, and that is a real problem. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland. We love to talk about the arts in Ireland.
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