'A death by a thousand cuts' is how a Waterford producer has described the latest restrictions on the arts and entertainment industry.
A Christmas Carol only opened at Garter Lane this week.
Now the show is facing an uncertain future after the government capped attendance at 50% from Tuesday.
Co-producer of the production Padraig O'Griofa says they cannot survive at those levels:
"It's like being damned with faint praise, we can't survive on a 50% house, we don't do budgets on a 50% house, so the show will not survive at a 50% house, full stop. And that's if you get 100% of 50%%, there is a reticence out there anyway among the public at going in to indoor spaces."
Arts Minister Catherine Martin said she understood the decision following NPHET advice was "a huge blow to the entertainment sector already hurting I’ve secured an extra €25m to support live entertainment, doubling Budget22's to €50m."
Officials are meeting to discuss its implementation with stakeholders. The Minister said the additional €25m will support those impacted including: venues, producers, promoters artists, crews and nightclubs. However, Mr O'Griofa says it will really only benefit the big boys:
"It's worse than closing us totally, if they closed us totally they'd have to support us. By doing this they don't have to support us, so we're left to wither on the vine.
"The 25 million which is vaunted by Catherine Martin is essentially for a Dublin, Cork and maybe a Limerick show, because you have to have over a 300 grand turnover, you have to be registered for VAT etc, so you're talking about the big big pantos in the Gaiety and what have you, nobody else will get a penny out of that."
Mr O'Griofa says a decision on how best to implement the 50% rule, a decision he describes as 'a Sophie's Choice', will be made by Monday.
LISTEN: to Padraig's conversation with WLR News Editor Julie Smyth here:
