332. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to list which of the 36 actions remain outstanding from the Nighttime Economy Taskforce 2021. [66839/26]

Following the publication of the Night-Time Economy Task Force Report in 2021, a high-level Night-Time Economy (NTE) Implementation Group was established by my department. The group consists of representatives from key departments, agencies, and stakeholders and is chaired by my department. The work of the Taskforce to date has made valuable impacts in bringing the benefits of a vibrant NTE into public discourse as well as affecting policy development across Government.

A wide-ranging review of progress in the NTE, including the 36 actions originally contained in the Task Force Report, was undertaken by the NTE team and members of the Implementation Group in 2024. This assessed overall progress and examined areas requiring a renewed focus. Following stakeholder engagement, a new and revised list of 30 actions was developed on the basis of this report. An overview of the progress of the actions contained in the report can be found here: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/overview-of-progress-on-the-night-time-economy-taskforce-report-october-2024.pdf

Key achievements on the NTE in this period include the establishment of 9 NTE advisors in locations around the country. Each advisor has published an action plan for development and diversification of the NTE in their location. In 2026 I allocated €3 million towards the implementation of a range of measures to support the Night-Time Economy, this included an allocation of €1 million to support 60 venues under the Grassroots Venue Support Scheme, €423k supporting 47 museums and galleries under the ‘After Hours at the Museum’ scheme, €190k towards Culture Night Late and the continued funding support for the 9 Night-Time advisers.

Following a period of engagement with members of the implementation group, it was decided that, going forward, the Implementation Group would operate on a sub-group basis, with each sub-group taking on responsibility for a themed group of actions. Commencing in April of this year, five new sub-groups were established, each with their own terms of reference, and together covering the entirety of the revised NTE actions. This restructuring enables a renewed focus on outstanding and current issues, having regard to their complexity and multi-stakeholder dimension.

The five sub-groups are as follows:

Sub-group 1: Night-Time Arts & Culture

Sub-group 2: Safety

Sub-group 3: Late Night Transport, Experience Economy, Tourism, Retail and Events

Sub-group 4: Regulatory, Licensing and Planning

Sub-group 5: NTE Data.

Significant progress has been made across revised actions, with the majority either completed or in progress. Two of the revised actions remain to be delivered and will be examined within the new sub-group structure: the use of publicly owned cultural/heritage sites for events, with a pilot here to be considered. A further action on the support of club culture will be progressed within the appropriate sub-group with an examination of targeted action here.

My Department will continue to work with the relevant Government Departments and agencies to examine further opportunities to develop and sustain a vibrant, diverse, safe and inclusive night-life across the country.