Report claims the arts bring in tax of €336m

A report on the economic role of the arts shows it supports almost 21,000 jobs and brings in €336m in taxes.

The report was commissioned by the Arts Council and shows that while it issued funding of €60m last year to individuals and groups, the turnover created by those receiving the funds equates to €145m.

With various sectors of the economy fearing cuts in funding in the upcoming budget, the report by Indecon International Economic Consultants seeks to highlight the domino effect of the arts in providing jobs.

It is the first such report since 2009 and outlines how the Arts Council’s annual funding from the exchequer supports 2,270 jobs, generating an annual turnover of €184m and €42m in tax revenues.

The report claims the wider arts sector supports 20,755 jobs, resulting in €336m in taxes, while the creative industries — including publishing, advertising, museums, radio, and television — support 77,000 jobs and contribute €4.7bn to the economy.

Entitled ‘An Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Arts in Ireland’, the report claims that “the arts continue to be a major employer and contributor to Irish economic output”.

It points out that the Arts Council’s grant-in-aid has been reduced by €22m — or 25% — between 2008 and 2012, and that there have been “very significant jobs losses since the 2009 report and proportionate losses of Vat and other taxes to the exchequer”.

Arts Council chairman Pat Moylan said: “This report shows that the arts are a major employer and contributor to economic output, and that with smart investment the arts are capable of stimulating more job creation and economic activity at a time we need it most.

“The arts really matter to us in Ireland, they unite our communities in good times and in bad, and they help define us as a people. Our achievements in the arts give us a deep credibility when we tell the world of our flexible, creative, innovative workforce, and the Arts Council is proud of the role the arts play in attracting inward investment.”

A number of events and arts groups around Ireland have seen the amount of funding provided to them by the Arts Council cut in recent times, following a 3.2% reduction in its allocation at the last budget compared with the previous year. The Arts Council’s Budget 2012 allocation was €63.1m.