Sinn Féin spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has called for urgent action to ensure Ireland’s Arts sector is not undermined by financial barriers and the growing threat of artists emigrating.
His comments came as he today launched the preliminary results of Sinn Féin’s Arts Survey, in which over a thousand artists, arts workers and people who enjoy the arts across different art forms answered questions relating to barriers, facilities, state bodies and funding.
People across the country were invited to take part in the online survey in English or in Irish between 6th April and 30th April 2024 as part of a consultation process aimed at developing a more comprehensive policy for the arts so that the sector has the best possible policies in place to enable it to thrive.
Key findings include that money is the key barrier to creating, performing or enjoying art for 4 of every 5 participants, almost three quarters are not satisfied with the arts facilities and spaces in their area, and a substantial majority say they or artists and arts workers they know are considering emigrating, rising to 70% in Dublin.
Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:
“I would like to thank each and every one of the 1,123 people who gave their time to participate in our survey. These preliminary results make for stark reading and should be a wake up call for everyone who wants to see Ireland’s Arts sector flourish and thrive.
“The responses set out starkly what has been clear to artists and others in the Arts sector for some time now: the housing and cost of living crises, particularly in Dublin, are significantly hampering the ability of artists and arts workers to create and perform, and the spectre of emigration is haunting Irish arts. Meanwhile, struggling to find an affordable place in which to live is compounded by a lack of affordable spaces in which to work.
“It was damning that when I asked Arts Minister Catherine Martin recently if she had analysed the impact of the housing crisis on the arts or at least spoken with the Housing Minister about it over her four years in office, she had nothing to say. While the basic income and increased funding from the Arts Council are welcome, they will not keep a roof over artists’ heads when the vast majority of artists and arts workers receive no state funding whatsoever.
“We need action on housing, we need action on the cost of living, and we need a concrete plan to deliver suitable arts spaces and cultural infrastructure to communities up and down the country.
“We also need to take a serious look at how the arts are supported nationally, with one in five identifying bureaucracy and elitism as major barriers to art work, and more respondents describing their experience of the Arts Council, other state bodies funding the arts, and the basic income for the arts as “negative” than “positive”. A substantial majority would rather have the basic income distributed based on financial need or merit than the current random lottery system.
“I encourage anyone interested to read the more detailed analysis of responses below. The results I am publishing today are initial, preliminary results and I will publish more comprehensive findings and meet with key stakeholders in the coming months to discuss what needs to be done for the arts. Sinn Féin is committed to standing up for artists and the Arts sector to ensure that they get the support they need.”
Ealaíona in Éirinn plúchta ag bagairt an eisimirce – Suirbhé Ealaíon Shinn Féin
Tá urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, ag éileamh beart práinneach chun a chinntiú nach dtitfidh an tóin as earnáil na n-Ealaíon mar thoradh ar bhacanna airgeadais agus an bagairt go rachaidh níos mó ealaíontóirí ar eisimirce.
Tháinig a éileamh inniú agus é ag seoladh réamhthorthaí de Shuirbhé Ealaíon Shinn Féin inar ghlac os cionn míle ealaíontóirí, oibrithe ealaíon agus daoine a thaitníonn ealaín leo páirt as gach cineál ealaíne, ag freagairt ceisteanna maidir le bacanna, áiseanna, eagrais stáit agus maoiniú.
Tugadh cuireadh don phobal fud fad na tíre páirt a ghlacadh sa suirbhé ar líne i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge idir an 6ú agus an 30ú Aibreáin mar chuid de phróiseas comhairliúcháin dírithe ar pholasaí níos cuimsithí ealaíon a fhorbairt ag ullmhú ionas go mbeidh na beartais is fearr agus is féidir curtha i bhfeidhm chun ligint do na healaíona bláthú.
I measc na príomhthorthaí, thug ceathrar as gach cúigear a ghlac pairt le fios gurb í an airgead an príomhbhac rompu chun ealaín a chruthú, a thaibhiú nó taitneamh a bhaint as, tá beagnach trí cheathrú nach bhfuil sásta leis na háiseanna agus na spásanna ealaíon ina gceantair, agus deir móramh suntasach go bhfuil siad féin nó ealaíontóirí agus oibrithe ealaíon a bhfuil aithne acu orthu ag smaoineamh faoi eisimirciú, figiúir a fhásann go 70% i mBaile Átha Cliath.
Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:
“Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le gach uile duine den 1,123 a ghlac ama chun bheith páirteach inár suirbhé. Tá léamh suntasach le déanamh ar na réamhthorhaí seo, agus ba choir go n-osclóidh said súla gach duine ar mian leo go n-éireoidh leis na healaíona in Éirinn bláthú.
“Nochtann na freagraí rud a bhí soiléir do ealaíontóirí agus eile in earnáil na n-Ealaíon le tamall anuas: tá géarchéimeanna na tithíochta agus an chostais maireachtála, go háirithe i mBaile Átha Cliath, ag cur isteach go mór ar chumas na n-ealaíontóirí agus na n-oibrithe ealaíon cruthú agus taibhiú, agus tá ealaíona na hÉireann céasta ag bagairt na heisimirce. Ag an am céanna, déantar níos measa streachailt an ealaíontóra atá ag triáil áit inacmhainne a fháil chun cónaí ann nuair atá easpa spás inacmhainne chun obair ann freisin.
“Bhí sé náireach nuair ar fhiafraigh mé den Aire Ealaíon Catherine Martin le déanaí an ndearna sí aon anailís ar thionchar an ghéarchéim tithíochta ar na healaíona, nó ar labhair sí faoi leis an Aire Tithíochta ar a laghad le linn an ceithre bliain atá caite aici mar Aire, agus ní raibh faic le rá aici. Cé go bhfuil fáilte roimh an bunioncam agus an maoiniú breise ón gComhairle Ealaíon, ní éireoidh leo ealaíontóirí a choimeád faoi dhíon nuair nach bhfuil formhór na n-ealaíontóir agus na n-oibrí ealaíon ag fáil maoiniú stáit ar bith.
“Teastaíonn gníomh i leith tithíocht, teastaíonn gníomh i leith costais maireachtála, agus teastaíonn plean dáiríre chun spásanna cuí ealaíon agus bonneagar cultúir a sheachadadh i bpobail fud fad na tíre.
“Ní mór dúinn freisin féachaint go géar ar an mbealach a thacaítear leis na healaíona go náisiúnta, agus duine as gach cúigear ag aithint an maorlathas agus an t-éilíteachas mar mhórbhacanna roimh obair ealaíne, agus níos mó ag rá go raibh taithí “diúltach” ná “dearfach” acu leis an gComhairle Ealaíon, eagrais stáit eile a dhéanann maoiniú ar na healaíona, agus an bunioncam don ealaíon. Dúirt móramh suntasach gurb’fhearr leo dá mbeadh an bunioncam eisithe de réir riachtanais airgid nó fiúntas ná de réir an córas reatha le crannchur randamach.
“Mholfainn do dhuine ar bith le suim ann an anailís níos cuimsithí ar fhreagraí a léamh thíos. Réamhthorthaí atá á seoladh agam inniu, agus tá súil agam torthaí níos cuimsithí a fhoilsiú agus bualadh le páirtithe leasmhara tábhachtacha sna míonna amach romhainn chun plé a bheith againn faoi cad atá ag teastáil. Tá Sinn Féin tiomanta seasamh suas ar son ealaíontóirí agus earnáil na n-Ealaíon chun a chinntiú go bhfaigheann siad an tacaíocht atá de dhíth orthu.”
