Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Feb 2001

Vol. 530 No. 6

Written Answers. - Film Industry Development.

John McGuinness

Question:

343 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the financial support available from her Department for regional film making; if it is possible to determine the level of Government funding which was made available to the industry; if, in the future, it can be spent on a regional basis should the projects be available; the number of film makers outside Dublin who received funding; the percentage of the budget which was allocated to them; and if there are plans in place to fund and produce more digitally made films. [4836/01]

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

Under section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, as amended, my Department certifies film projects, thereby authorising them to raise investments for which tax relief may be claimed under that section. No direct Government funding is provided to the film sector under this scheme. Since 1997, my Department has certified a total of 130 projects. In the same period, the Government has allocated more than £20 million in Exchequer funding to the Irish Film Board for the provision of development and production loans to the Irish film industry.

Film producers determine the most suitable locations for filming. My Department does not maintain statistics which would enable me to give a regional breakdown of expenditure on film production. The production of digitally made films relates to ongoing technological developments in the film industry and is a matter for the film producers themselves.