Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:108 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the measures planned to encourage the revitalisation of the film industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4989/08]
Priority Questions.
Film Industry Development.
Primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions is a matter for the Irish Film Board, IFB. This agency is funded through the Department and is independent of the Department in its day to day operations. The task of attracting international production into Ireland is dependent on a number of elements, not all of which fall within the sphere of influence of the Department or the Irish Film Board. Decisions to site a film project in a particular territory involve complex funding, cultural, logistical and project-specific elements, all of which are crucial for a successful result.
My Department's primary operational role in supporting the film sector relates to the administration of elements of the section 481 tax relief scheme. This scheme is kept under regular review in conjunction with the Irish Film Board and any enhancements necessary to retain or regain competitiveness are addressed and brought to the attention of the Minister for Finance as appropriate. The scheme was amended and enhanced in the Finance Acts of 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and most recently in 2006. In his budget speech of 2008, the Minister for Finance announced that he was extending the scheme for a further four years, until the end of 2012, following a review of the scheme by Indecon International Economic Consultants. I welcome this extension of the scheme and the proposal in the Finance Bill to increase the overall ceiling on qualifying expenditure from €35 million to €50 million.
Furthermore, the proposal in the Indecon report to extend the Exchequer support even further, through an enhanced grant scheme of direct aid to film makers, as an optional alternative to section 481 is a very positive one. I will finalise the details on that proposal with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, over the coming months so that it is ready, if possible, for 2009. That enhanced scheme would mean more direct investment in film and television production and will also allow an increase in both the rate and quantum of support at no additional cost to the taxpayer. It has the potential to address the twin objectives of restoring Ireland's competitiveness for international film production and providing a more effective incentive for lower budget indigenous productions.
An area which I considered needed examination was measuring and capturing the full scale, value and potential for growth of the audio-visual production sector in Ireland. I am pleased that the Irish Film Board has recently commissioned a major independent survey of the audio-visual production sector in Ireland. The survey is under way and is due to be completed by the end of April 2008. The survey will provide a complete and accurate description of the character, scale and value of the entire industry as it currently exists and provide an objective starting point from which to chart a plan for the future and act as a benchmark from which to accurately measure progress.
Another important element of a successful film industry is the availability of adequate, fully equipped studio resources that can cater for the needs of indigenous and incoming film and television productions and this is a key factor in the Irish Film Board's role of marketing Ireland as a film location. The Irish Film Board was asked to prepare a report on the future options available for film studios in Ireland. The report was received and is being examined in my Department.
The industry in Ireland has never been stronger in terms of international recognition and commercial success. This is evidenced by the Oscar nominations this year and the critical and financial successes of numerous films in recent times. Our challenge is to continue to build on those successes and I am examining the possible establishment of a high powered film commission to assess all aspects of the industry and its future potential.
I am sure other Members, including the Ceann Comhairle, will join me in congratulating Mr. Damian Foxhall, the first Irish co-skipper to win a round-the-world yacht race. That is a remarkable achievement. He is from the same maritime county as the Ceann Comhairle. It is a first and we should send our congratulations to him and his co-skipper.
The Minister was heavily lobbied on the tax incentives and there were minor tax enhancements but not enough to significantly rescue the film industry, which is on its knees. I welcome additional funding to the Irish Film Board but that is for Irish film, and it is right that it should be. However as the Minister knows, to get the economies of scale needed in the film industry to retain crews and actors and get the facilities needed we must attract international films, such as we have done in the past. The Minister knows that Ardmore Studios is on its knees. It just lost the film "Mary Queen of Scots". The production team was here interviewing and has pulled out because of the better incentives available in Scotland. It is another nail in the coffin of a significant part of our indigenous industry. It behoves the Minister to be active on this. What is envisaged if the tax incentive is not available? We have a successful indigenous industry but it has not, and never will have, the economies of scale to sustain itself unless supplemented by something from abroad.
I spoke to Mr. Foxhall and conveyed our best wishes on his great victory. We are proud of his achievement.
I share many of Deputy Mitchell's views. The Irish film industry has done well but is only scratching the surface. There is enormous potential and I have made this clear to the Irish Film Board. The Government will do what it can in financial supports. In my reply I said we have extended the tax relief to 2012 and are studying whether the direct grants outlined in the Indecon report would be practical. The industry has the equivalent of 1,800 full-time jobs, which is significant. Expenditure in the industry last year was over €280 million, which is considerable. Studies by the Irish Film Board show that for every euro it invests, it generates a return of approximately €10. We are doing very well in television and short production. We could do much more in feature films. We are examining implementing the Indecon report and the direct grant scheme alongside the tax breaks scheme. We will keep in mind the existing performance.
I am examining the possible establishment of a high powered film commission that might advise Ireland. I am looking at the possibility of finding some international expertise, separate from the day-to-day operation of the film industry and the Irish Film Board, who might have a view on where the Irish film industry might take itself in the next five years.
Will the Minister clarify what he said about direct grants in the 2009 budget? Is he talking about direct grants to international film producers rather than home-produced films?
The Indecon report recommended direct grants and I said we would study that coming up to the 2009 budget.
I hope we still have a film industry in 2009.
Sports Funding.
Mary Upton
Ceist:109 Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the reason for cutting the funding to the sport in disadvantaged areas scheme by 25% in the 2008 budget; his views on whether this will necessitate the removal of several programmes in some of the most disadvantaged areas here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4754/08]
Through my Department special funding of €1.5 million has been allocated from the dormant accounts fund this year to provide opportunities for persons with a disability to participate in sport and physical activity by way of the appointment of sports inclusion development officers in local sports partnerships. In 2007 funding of almost €2 million was allocated from the dormant accounts fund through my Department for projects to increase participation in sports and recreation in disadvantaged areas.
My colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, has overall responsibility for dormant accounts spending and the funding through my Department is an element of a larger set of economic and social disadvantage funding measures. In addition to these special measures under the dormant accounts fund, my Department also provides funding for sports in disadvantaged areas through the Irish Sports Council and the sports capital programme.
My Department funds the Irish Sports Council, the statutory body responsible for the development of sport in Ireland, and has allocated over €57 million to the council in 2008. This significant level of funding has enabled a number of significant interventions for the benefit of disadvantaged areas. Examples include the local sports partnerships, LSP, network, the Buntús programme for primary schools in LSP areas, development officers in national governing bodies and special funding to the FAI, the GAA and the IRFU.
Under the sports capital programme, which is administered by my Department, funding is allocated to sporting and community organisations at local, regional and national level throughout the country towards the provision of sport and recreational facilities. One of the stated aims and objectives of the sports capital programme is to prioritise the needs of disadvantaged areas in the provision of facilities. Since 2002, those areas that have been designated by Government for special support through the schemes administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, namely, RAPID, local drugs task forces and CLÁR areas, are treated as disadvantaged under the programme. Projects identified as being located in areas designated as disadvantaged are targeted and prioritised in a number of ways during the assessment of applications. Successful projects under the sports capital programme in CLÁR and RAPID areas may qualify to receive additional top-up funding, payable by the Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, in addition to their sports capital allocation.
In 2007 over 1,530 applications were received for the programme and provisional allocations totalling €85 million were made to 935 projects. Grants totalling €38.68 million were allocated to 455 projects in disadvantaged areas under the 2007 sports capital programme. My colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, has announced top-ups for qualifying grantees of just over €6.9 million.
I thank the Minister for that detailed explanation of how the money is distributed. My key point was that a very modest amount of money was set aside for disadvantaged areas. In 2007 that was €2 million and in 2008 it has been cut back to €1.5 million. All the other moneys are available and under the sports capital programme they have always been there. This is additional money dedicated, I thought, to disadvantaged areas for minor or smaller projects. My concern is that those small projects may lose out because of the money being depleted. There is a cutback of €500,000 and in real terms it is more than that, given that there was a reduction from €2 million in 2007 to €1.5 million in 2008. It is a modest amount of money but I wonder why the tranche of money dedicated to disadvantaged areas was reduced.
I am glad Deputy Upton gave me a chance to clarify this because there is no cutback, although I can see how somebody reading it cold could come to that conclusion. These are two different schemes. In 2007 a once-off amount of €2 million from the dormant accounts fund was allocated to 781 projects in disadvantaged areas. That was a once-off allocation from that fund, which is not normally built into the spending of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. The next year, in 2008 and going on into 2009, there is a figure of €1.5 million. While that appears to be a reduction, as the Deputy said in her question, it is a different scheme.
The second scheme is a disability programme to do with the employment of special inclusion development officers and again comes from the dormant accounts as a once-off payment in each of the two years so we are unable to compare like with like. The funding the Deputy should be aware of is the figure I stated earlier regarding 1,530 applications and the amount which went to disadvantaged areas. There is no precise calculation but perhaps up to half of the funding for sport is going to targeted areas of disadvantage. I can get more accurate figures in that regard. While it would not be fair to compare these two figures, I can see how somebody coming cold to the situation might compare them. I confirm they are different schemes and are once off.
While I appreciate what the Minister is saying, in 2007 there appears to have been a once-off payment of €2 million and a once-off payment in 2008 of €1.5 million — admittedly for different projects. However, it is a smaller once-off subscription whether in the area of either disadvantage or disability. It appears to be a reduction of €500,000 however that money is directed.
The dormant account situation is unusual. Any Department that gets an offer of some millions of euro for any of its projects is happy to receive and allocate that money, which is what we did in this case. We allocated it on the basis of the area needing it at the time. A significant proportion of our investment in sport is targeted at disadvantage. Having spent a few years at the Department of Social and Family Affairs, I intend to increase the emphasis on disadvantage.
Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:110 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the additional funding that has been made available to the Irish Sports Council to prepare for the Olympics in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4986/08]
The Government has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to sport as evidenced by the continued, substantial investment in sport, with a total sports budget of €336 million in 2008. The Deputy will be aware that the Irish Sports Council is the statutory body responsible for the development of sport in Ireland and that the level of funding to the Olympic bodies, national governing bodies of sport and elite athletes is therefore a matter for the Irish Sports Council in the first instance. In 2008, my Department has allocated more than €57.3 million to the Irish Sports Council, an increase since the last Olympic year of €26.6 million, some 86.4%.
One of the Irish Sports Council's primary functions is to encourage the promotion, development and co-ordination of competitive sport and the achievement of excellence in competitive sport. In this regard, the Irish Sports Council works in partnership with the Irish Institute of Sport, the Olympic Council of Ireland, OCI, the Paralympic Council of Ireland, PCI, and the relevant governing bodies of sport in the preparation and participation of Irish competitors at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. I am informed by the Irish Sports Council that significant progress has been made to date by all the agencies in preparation for the Beijing Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The Olympic and Paralympic Councils of Ireland are the agencies responsible for the organisation and participation of the Irish teams at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Irish Sports Council provides annual funding to both councils for administration and programme costs aimed specifically at preparation for the games. The OCI and PCI have responsibility for a number of areas including team selection, following nominations from governing bodies of athletes that have reached qualification standards; selection of support personnel; team manager training programmes; preparation visits to Beijing by key personnel; heat and acclimatisation strategy; the organisation of multi-sport camps in advance of the games; all logistics at games time; and liaison with the organising committee and the International Olympic Committee.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
Primary responsibility for the preparation and performance of individual athletes rests with the relevant national governing body or, in the case of Paralympic sports, the Paralympic Council of Ireland. I have invited the ISC, the OCI and the PCI to meet with me shortly to hear at first hand the preparations being made for Beijing.
Arising from the Sydney review published in 2001 and the Athens review published in 2005, the Irish Sports Council has introduced many initiatives and programmes to enhance the preparations of Ireland's Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Many Irish athletes are preparing to compete at or qualify for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. I am assured by the ISC that planning has been comprehensive and well funded, with plans implemented by top quality professionals at every step. The ISC has defined success as meeting its target of six finalists at the Olympics. This target is still in place and hopefully will be achieved.
Tomorrow, I will be announcing the Irish Sports Council's package of investment in high performance sport in 2008. This comprehensive package will cover every aspect of Olympic and Paralympic preparation and will continue to develop and support elite sport in Ireland.
While that is a lot of talk, it does not hide the reality that in this Olympic year the Irish Sports Council's allocation, in effect, decreased. While there is a €3.3 million increase in money terms on last year, that figure coincides exactly with the amount of money to go to the GAA players. It had been promised that this money would be additional. In effect, the Irish Sports Council, which is responsible for grant aiding the Olympic Council of Ireland and the athletes, has less money in this Olympic year.
I am sure the Minister must be aware that far more intensive preparation is required this year. The athletes need to go abroad and participate in more events in order to qualify for the Olympics. We must be the only participating country with less money available to sport than last year. There is no point comparing to the last Olympic year. In comparison to last year, the Irish Sports Council effectively has less money to give to athletes. Can we really be serious? Was the Minister lobbied in any way? Did anybody point out to him that this is an Olympic year and that if we are serious about giving the type of high performance that encourages young athletes to come forward, we need to allocate at least a small token increase to show that we regard it as something important?
It is much more than a token. Tomorrow, I will announce the Irish Sports Council's package of investment in high performance sport for next year, which is a very comprehensive package. Government funding to sport has increased by 14% since last year, which is significant. Bringing home the medals is not just a matter of piling in funds. I will ensure that any funds that are needed to ensure success are made available. The current Olympic cycle is from 2005 to 2008. The level of funding to the Irish Sports Council is €186 million. In this cycle, in preparing for these Olympic Games, the funding to the Olympic Council of Ireland has increased by 74%, which is a significant investment. We need everyone to pull together and for all the organisations to work towards a common goal of having a successful Olympic Games. That is not just about medals; it is about participation also and building a good strong team for these and future Olympics.
That is all very well. It is possible to do anything with figures. However, can the Minister confirm that the allocation to the Irish Sports Council this year was €3.3 million more than last year, which is the precise amount of additional money to go to the GAA players? In effect the amount of money going to all sports, with the exclusion of horseracing and greyhound racing, has decreased in real terms in this crucial year of the Olympic Games.
No. I am telling the Deputy that the overall Government allocation to sport is €336 million.
I am asking about the allocation to the Irish Sports Council, which funds the Olympic team.
That is an increase of 14% on last year's funding of €297 million.
The Minister is being disingenuous.
The Irish Sports Council allocation is €57.3 million, which is an increase of 6.1%.
It is an increase of €3.3 million — exactly what is going to the GAA players, which was supposed to have been additional money.
My brief says the 2008 allocation to the Irish Sports Council is €57.3 million, which is an increase of 6.1%.
It is an increase of €3.3 million no matter how the Minister explains it.
Tourism Industry.
Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:111 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the role he exercises in ensuring cross-departmental co-operation on issues relating to tourism policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4987/08]
My Department and the tourism agencies operating under its aegis co-operate closely with other Departments and agencies on an ongoing basis through a wide range of channels and mechanisms, both formal and informal.
The report of the tourism policy review group, New Horizons for Irish Tourism: An Agenda for Action, which set out the strategic framework for Irish tourism, highlighted the importance of Government commitment to creating and maintaining a positive environment for tourism investment and development. In particular, tourism policy was defined as encompassing not only the traditional role and functions of the Department and the State tourism agencies, but, in addition, all areas of Government policy and actions that impact in a significant manner on the development of tourism.
The strength of the Government's commitment to tourism is clear from the provisions of the programme for Government and the national development plan. Along with my Government colleagues, I am determined to develop the Irish tourism industry and provide it with sustained support and investment in the coming years. As I have previously outlined, my priorities include ensuring the tourism agenda is accommodated in the relevant policies and programmes which impact on tourism. This is being put into practice on an ongoing basis by my Department through intensive bilateral engagement with the relevant Departments and agencies on their policies and programmes, supported and complemented by the engagement of the tourism agencies where appropriate. This approach, which is consistent with the Government's and my personal commitment to agile and lean government rather than bureaucratic and unwieldy structures, has worked and is working. Other approaches, such as a formal tourism council or standing committees, have been tried before and, from time to time, found to be less effective in delivering results.
My Department and the tourism agencies engage actively in formal fora, such as interdepartmental committees and high level groups, where appropriate, which consider matters of major significance to tourism development. These fora include the interdepartmental working group on the sustainable travel and transport plan and the National Competitiveness Council. The strategic policy framework for tourism development incorporates not only specific policy measures, but also the broader policy agenda, which impacts on sustainable tourism development, such as competitiveness and the environment.
The Department's role has been supported by the tourism strategy implementation group, which was appointed in 2006 to, among other things, oversee the implementation of the outstanding recommendations in the New Horizons report. The group has, where appropriate, engaged directly with key Departments and agencies, such as the Department of Transport and the Central Statistics Office, in respect of specific areas with an impact on tourism strategy, such as transport and tourism statistics. I am satisfied that the arrangements outlined ensure effective and appropriate cross-departmental co-operation.
I thank the Minister. Utter frustration prompted my question because I have no doubt, nor do I have reason to doubt, that what the Minister stated is true. As far as the Dáil is concerned, however, the reality is that no matter what question is raised in respect of tourism, the reply is that the Minister has no responsibility to the Dáil for the matter or it does not fall under his remit. I am sure the Minister accepts that tourism is not a one-sector issue and that it cuts across many areas. Questions on matters involved in tourism directly must be answered on the floor of the Dáil. For example, why was the pre-clearance facility at Shannon Airport refused? Surely, there is no more important question or area of potential for tourism than the achievement of the facility. I am not asking the Minister to be accountable to the Dáil for what other Ministers may be directly accountable, but I expect him to report to the Dáil.
Will the Minister consider answering questions like those on, for example, the future autonomy of the airports, the percentage for arts schemes and everything that crosses from his Department into others and that is crucial to the delivery of his Department's remit?
If the Deputy goes back through the record of my time in the House, she will find that I am a Minister who seldom hides behind or points to an agency. I will indicate whether something is the primary responsibility of an agency, but I will give the Government's and my thinking on the question.
Tourism cuts across a range of sectors. Arts tourism is an important and growing area and sports tourism is exciting thanks to the attraction of events, particularly on an all-island basis. We held a number of all-island discussions on this issue with the Northern Ireland Executive, the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister as recently as last week. Event-led tourism is a significant sector in which we can invest.
I would be happy to discuss Shannon Airport from these benches at any time. As the Deputy knows, we have invested heavily in it through the years and it tends to have good and bad news from time to time. If there is a specific question, I will answer it, if I am allowed.
These questions may never reach the Minister's desk, but it is true that questions on agencies in particular are rejected. In his Ministry, all he does personally — I am not being insulting — is give out lottery money. There is an agency for nearly everything else. If tourism, sports, arts and culture are to be discussed in a real way——
The agencies need policies to direct them, which is my job.
I accept that, but we cannot raise these matters on the floor of the House and they are being rejected. I ask the Minister to bear this fact in mind because it is a cross-cutting Ministry that is full of agencies delivering——
I am 100% in favour of responding to policy issues, even if there is a relevant agency.
Proposed Legislation.
John O'Mahony
Ceist:112 Deputy John O’Mahony asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when the Irish Sports Council (Amendment) Bill will be published; the autonomy the institute of sport will have in relation to decision-making under the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4988/08]
The purpose of the Irish Sports Council (Amendment) Bill is to provide for the granting of powers to the Irish Sports Council to establish subsidiary companies, which may include the institute of sport and coaching Ireland. Policy issues arising from the drafting of the Bill are being discussed between my Department, the Department of Finance, the Irish Sports Council and the Attorney General's office. As soon as these discussions are finalised, I look forward to publishing the Bill. Detailed arrangements for the relationship of the subsidiaries and the Irish Sports Council will be a matter for the council.
I know the Bill is due for publication, but will the Minister indicate what autonomy the institute of sport will have? Returning to Deputy Mitchell's question on the Olympics this year, why is an institute of sport necessary if everything is hunky dory? It is important that the institute will have autonomy. Will it get its budget from the Sports Council or the Minister directly? In another sphere, we heard of a manager being appointed and selectors being imposed upon him. The question of autonomy is important. What indication can the Minister give at this stage on whether the institute will be autonomous? If it will have a board, who will appoint it and what bodies will be on it?
The Minister mentioned the National Coaching and Training Centre, which will be transformed into Coaching Ireland. What role will it have and what changes will be made to the NCTC as a result?
As we progress the Bill and make final decisions on its possible content, some of the Deputy's questions will be answered. The institute will have a board and four or five key staff members have been recruited, including a chief science officer, an athlete services officer, a chief medical officer and a chief technical officer.
The Bill arose from studies following the Athens Olympics and other specific studies. It became clear that we needed to focus on particular sports, areas of excellence, strength, conditioning, psychology, performance analysis, which is important, sports medicine, sports injury management, another important area, the recruitment of elite coaches and athletes' lifestyle support. Most countries that are serious about high performance athletics have an organisation of the nature of an institute of sport to focus on these types of psychological, physical and medical management areas. The Deputy knows from his involvement in sport that such an area of excellence is necessary. The institute will continue to be based in Abbotstown and the legislation will advance as soon as we make some outstanding decisions.
The Olympics following the Beijing games will take place in London in 2012. If the institute of sport is to be strong, vibrant and autonomous, it will need teeth. I urge the Minister to ensure, in finalising the legislation, the institute has these characteristics.
I am examining this issue generally in terms of sport. On the one hand, we must ensure experts have enough autonomy to do their jobs and, on the other, ensure the entire effort lines up in the same direction to achieve a result. This might seem contradictory, but I do not believe it is. I am referring to the necessary amount of autonomy to ensure we play as a team. It is a whopper of a statement, but I am sure the Deputy knows what I mean.