Vol. 431 No. 7
19 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he will provide financial assistance for the upgrading of Ardmore Studios in Bray, County Wicklow so that it can play a fuller part in the development of the Irish film industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
While I have no direct function in the provision of financial assistance to Ardmore Studios, I do, however, regard the studios as an important element of the existing infrastructure for the promotion and development of the Irish film industry. Therefore, I believe that the studios are well placed to exploit the new policy initiatives which I have put in place to exploit the full potential of the industry and create significant employment and value added to our economy.
As the Deputy will be aware, these initiatives involve: the reactivation of the Irish Film Board to administer a dedicated fund to assist film projects; and the removal of the "cap" on RTE advertising revenue and the allocation of specific amounts by RTE for programmes commissioned from the independent sector, under the Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1993.
