Minister for Arts and Culture Catherine Martin said she is optimistic about the chances of live indoor events returning on a phased basis from early September.
Exact dates for the lifting of restrictions will be considered further by the Cabinet Covid Committee this afternoon.
Following a meeting with the live events sector this morning, Minister Martin said this would initially involve the use of vaccine certificates.
Speaking after the meeting which was also attended by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, she said the industry requires reopening dates and they will be provided tomorrow.
"Also in terms of drama and indoor dance for children, it was emphasised that this is something that involves more than 250,000 children and that is something I am seeking to recommence in September in a phased way as well," she added.
However the Event Industry Alliance, which was represented at the meeting, said it was disappointed and frustrated that no reopening date had yet been provided.
It is seeking an early September safe reopening date for those fully vaccinated to attend full capacity indoor and outdoor events.
It also wants business and employee supports to remain in place until next June to allow the sector to recover and it called for a cross governmental sector focused group, and for meaningful engagement with Government to continue.
Promoter and member of the Alliance Justin Greene pleaded with the Government to take onboard comments made by members of the sector at today's meeting, but said it remains disappointing that no assurances or firm dates for reopening were given to them.
On RTÉ's News at One, Mr Greene said there was a lot of frustration at the meeting because of the lack of commitment to a date for reopening or to maintaining welfare supports for the industry.
He said Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister for Arts Catherine Martin "seemed to have listened to our concerns" and had said they would take everything on board and onto the Covid Committee and the full Cabinet tomorrow before a decision is made.
He said "after 537 days of closure, it has been a terrible period for everyone involved".
Mr Greene said that it will take until next year to recover and the industry needs pandemic supports to remain in place for longer.
He stressed that the commercial events sector does not receive taxpayer funding and just wants to re-open but needs 100% capacity in order to do so.
The industry represents 35,000 people and is worth €3.5 billion to the economy.
Arts Minister Catherine Martin says she is optimistic that live entertainment at indoor venues can return in early September through the use of vaccine certificates pic.twitter.com/5pYzFD1LT8
— Mícheál Lehane (@MichealLehane) August 30, 2021
The National Campaign for the Arts described this morning's meeting as positive and said it looked forward to a nuanced approach to the reopening of arts and live event sectors.
Attendances for sports events are set to be increased with crowds of between 30% and 50% of stadium capacity expected to be permitted from next month.
The Give Us The Night campaign called for a working group to be set up to facilitate more communication between the Department of Health and operators of indoor venues on reopening the sector.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, spokesperson Sunil Sharp said the meeting with the Government "went well" but a reopening date was not given.
He said: "We're finding out more through the media really, than we are back from Government, but I think we all really appreciated the engagement today and it definitely made us feel a little bit clearer in terms of the Government's commitment to indoor venues and nightclubs, which obviously do serve up certain challenges that other types of events don't."
On accessing these premises with Covid-19 certs, Mr Sharp said it did not appear that this had been fully decided and that the sector is of the view that "testing is the future, rather than Covid certs" and the Taoiseach appeared to agree with this.
The National Campaign for the Arts described this morning's meeting as "positive" and said it looks forward "to moving on with a nuanced approach to the reopening" of the sector.
Positive engagement by @MichealMartinTD @LeoVaradkar @cathmartingreen at today's Stakeholder meeting. We look forward to moving on with a nuanced approach to the reopening of arts & live events sectors after today’s cabinet COVID sub-committee meeting #SAVETHEARTS
— National Campaign for the Arts - Ireland (@Campaign4Arts) August 30, 2021
Additional reporting Mícheál Lehane, Sinéad Crowley, Tommy Meskill
