Vol. 435 No. 5
36 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the steps, if any, he will take to locate the planned national film school in Bray, County Wicklow, in view of the long film-making tradition in Bray; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I have no firm proposals at this stage for the creation of a national film school, although I can inform the Deputy that I would very much favour the creation of such a school in the short to medium term.
As regards the location of such a project if it were to be established in the future, while I am happy to acknowledge the excellent standards and levels of professionalism which have been set by Ardmore Studios in Bray, I am already on record as announcing my intention to focus my policy on the creation of regional clusters of arts and cultural activities linked to specific themes. I have identified the Galway region as the focus for the promotion of the film sector of the State and, to this end, I have already decided to locate Bord Scannán na hÉireann, the Irish Film Board, in Galway.
I will, of course, when discussions in relation to the film industry at a national and local level are being taken bear the excellent standards at Ardmore Studios in mind as a resource with achievement and potential.
