Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 23 Oct 1997

Vol. 482 No. 2

Written Answers - Film Production.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

19 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the current position in relation to the co-production agreement for film with Australia; and the further co-production agreements, if any, she anticipates concluding in the short-term. [17412/97]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

On 4 June last a Film Co-Production Agreement between Ireland and Australia was initialled in Dublin by my predecessor and the Ambassador of Australia. This procedure signalled the satisfactory conclusion of negotiations between the two countries on the facilitation of film co-productions. The final steps to formal ratification of the agreement are now being taken by the Australian and Irish authorities. I anticipate that the agreement will be ratified by early next year.

In the meantime, administrative arrangements were put in place earlier this year between Ireland and Australia to facilitate an AustralianIrish co-production, in respect of which the Irish element of the filming took place during the summer in Achill, County Mayo.

The Council of Europe's European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production is under active consideration by me as a possible instrument to facilitate co-productions with member states of the Council of Europe, thereby perhaps avoiding the need having regard to staff resources, to negotiate a multiplicity of bilateral co-production agreements.

Bilateral contacts have in the past been made with France and Israel regarding the question of establishing co-production agreements with those states, but there have not been any recent developments in this regard.