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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Dec 2006

Vol. 629 No. 5

Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I express my appreciation that the House has facilitated my Department in taking this Bill at short notice.

This short Bill, the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2006, has a simple but important objective, namely, to increase the statutory limit on the cumulative capital outlay, commitments and liabilities that the Irish Film Board may incur. As is the case with some statutory bodies that receive public funding, a limit was set by statute on such outlay when the Irish Film Board Act 1980 was enacted. The Houses of the Oireachtas must update this limit every three to five years.

The Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2000 increased the limit from £30 million to £80 million or approximately €101.5 million. In the absence of amending legislation, spending by the Irish Film Board, inclusive of the recently announced additional allocation, will reach this statutory limit by year end. It is now proposed, therefore, to increase this limit to €200 million to allow the board to continue to operate within an appropriate statutory limit, subject to the normal annual Estimates process.

The Irish Film Board has a dual mandate to develop Irish film-making talent which can engage audiences at home and abroad while maintaining and building the resources, craft and skills of the industry through attracting international productions to Ireland. Evidence of the necessity for this legislation is borne out by the activity of the board in recent times. Following the publication of the 1998 strategic review of the Irish audiovisual industry, known as the Kilkenny report, key Government decisions were taken to assign a central place in Ireland's industrial policy to the audiovisual production industry. This included a restructuring of the board which resulted in its staffing numbers increasing from four in 2000 to its current staffing complement of 16. The board's staff have direct industry experience and are experts in the field.

In the same period, the board's Exchequer current and capital funding has risen from a total of €10.16 million in 2000 to €19.4 million by the end of 2006, almost a doubling in its funding. In the past six years, the environment in which the board operates has undergone massive and constant evolution and development, both domestically and internationally. I am pleased the board has reflected and adapted to these changes. As is only too well known, one cannot stand still in any endeavour if it is to succeed and the film sector is no exception. One must adapt to changing circumstances, including in the type of projects being developed, the audiences to be reached and the markets to be targeted.

The Irish Film Board, with Government support, has adopted a strategic approach to meeting these challenges. Through its varied schemes and programmes, it aims to assist projects at the earliest stage of development, through the pre-production phase to production and post-production. It has established clear polices, from bringing forward and nurturing talent using its short film schemes, up to its most recent initiative for company development, which is aimed at moving forward with a number of more established companies in streamlining their funding structures.

In addition, through its funding of Screen Training Ireland, in conjunction with FÁS, the board addresses the needs of the industry at entry level. Thus, training supports can be put in place to match the requirements of the marketplace and render its participants relevant to the sector they want to enter. In this regard, it is noteworthy that between 2000 and 2005 an average of 630 participants have undertaken professional training annually.

As is evident from the award of a short film Oscar for "Six Shooter" and the Palme d'Or for "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" at the Cannes Film Festival, these policies are working. As I said at the time, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" would shake Fine Gael.

We are too resilient for that. The film showed what we had to go through to establish the State.

A civil war story with a €6 million budget which received €500,000 in funding from the Irish Film Board, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" subsequently became the highest grossing independent Irish film ever at the Irish box office. To date, the film has taken more than €20 million worldwide, proving that there is an international market for Irish stories. It is safe to conclude, therefore, that there is real progress and cause for optimism for the Irish film industry.

Film is not just about talent but is a key sector, which has become an international commodity, driven by economic incentives in an ever changing environment. This, combined with the current dollar exchange rate imbalances, domestic US incentives and low cost regimes in some eastern member states of the European Union has resulted in fewer big budget projects from the United States being attracted here than previously. In addition, one cannot deny the effect of the recently approved UK scheme on the Irish position and we will continue to monitor the situation.

The Government is aware of the needs of the sector and the need to react to such changes. We were pleased, therefore, to have been able to improve the scope of the section 481 scheme in the Finance Act 2006 and thereby maintain Ireland's position as an attractive location. In an increasingly competitive international environment, I am pleased the board has been able to continue to effectively discharge its vital role of promoting our indigenous film industry and marketing Ireland as a location for international productions.

This has brought direct results. This year has been an exciting and productive one for the film industry. Production activity returned to high levels. As proof of this, some 38 projects were certified under the section 481 tax incentive scheme in 2006, with a total Irish spend of €115.6 million. This is an increase from 28 projects in 2005 when the spend was €64 million. Included in the 2006 figures is a small number of large budget projects, chief among them being the television series, "The Tudors" and "Rough Diamond", as well as the television movie, "Northanger Abbey". Looking to 2007, the board has succeeded in attracting new projects, including the feature film, "Dorothy Mills", and television film, "My Boy Jack", as well as further series of "The Tudors" and "Murphy's Law".

In 2006 alone, the film sector generated the equivalent expenditure of the Irish Film Board since its inception, a remarkable rate of return by any measure. As can be seen from the board's annual review of 2006, which I had the pleasure of launching last night, the board's film location division succeeded in attracting 13 live action film and television dramas and provided logistical support to a further 13 local and film and television productions. Altogether these 26 projects had combined budgets of approximately €113 million and contributed almost €70 million in Irish expenditure in the Irish film industry.

While Ireland can hold its own due to our talent pool and incentives package, we cannot become complacent. We must continue to search for and avail of any comparative advantage we can find and be active in the marketplace. With this in mind, the Irish Film Board has risen to this challenge with the recent establishment of an Irish Film Board office in Los Angeles, a move I had proposed having visited the city. I expect this office will achieve much in raising awareness of the Irish industry in the United States. The board has also put in place a Dublin film partnership scheme, a one-stop shop for potential producers seeking to produce projects in the city. This grouping, encompassing businesses and public sector interests in the city, facilitates overcoming the practical obstacles inherent in bringing a production to fruition.

Although 2005 and 2006 have been challenging years for production, indigenous films, supported by the Irish Film Board, have continued to perform to critical acclaim both at home and at festivals around the world. Titles such as "Adam and Paul", "The Mighty Celt", "Breakfast on Pluto", "Isolation", "Pavee Lackeen" and, as already mentioned, "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" have been extremely well received by audiences and critics throughout the year. Further affirmation in this respect are the nominations at world-renowned festivals in which Irish talent is well represented.

I appreciate the Deputies' co-operation in expediting the enactment of this short but vital Bill and commend it to the House.

I was only too pleased to facilitate the Minister in introducing the legislation. The Fine Gael Party always facilitates positive measures by the Minister. While the Irish film industry has been successful over the years, nevertheless a number of important questions arise for the future. I will avail of the opportunity afforded by this debate to pose some questions to the Minister.

No feature film has been made in Ireland in the past five years. The last one to be made was "King Arthur". Other competing destinations have improved on our incentive scheme. Some years ago I met members of a committee from the House of Commons who came to examine our scheme when "Braveheart" was filmed here. The United Kingdom now has an incentive scheme which not alone matches ours but has improved upon it. Seven states in the United States now give incentives to the film industry which are greater than ours. Even though we raised the cap and improved the incentives last year, we are not attracting major films with budgets in the region of €100 million. The cap must be raised, while a write-off of more than 80% must be allowed. The Minister must make proposals to the Minister for Finance to include such measures in the Finance Bill to help the film industry.

Statistics contained in the IBEC report referred substantially to 2005 but the Minister has quoted figures for 2006. However, I believe an unpublished PricewaterhouseCoopers report states we are not in contention for major film productions and recommends concentration on smaller indigenous productions with budgets of up to €30 million, as well as more TV productions. Can the Minister respond to the recommendations in this unpublished report?

There is a major question mark against the future of Ardmore Studios. The PricewaterhouseCoopers report states the studio is no longer attractive for major film productions, as it does not have the necessary scope or facilities. The report recommends that it be closed and that the Government provide a film centre. It should be a flexible, multi-purpose centre capable of being used at different locations. The report recommends an investment in the region of €30 million in this project. Can the Minister refer to this? The Government has made huge investments in the Abbey Theatre, the National Concert Hall and the Wexford opera house, while major commitments have been made to the national cultural institutions. If it is committed to the film industry, it should seriously consider the provision of a national film centre.

I have experience of the Irish Film Board through my occasional involvement with film productions. I found it extraordinary that a documentary on Con Houlihan, for whom the Minister has great respect, had been refused funding on four occasions by the board which could not see the merit of the documentary which RTE broadcast on two occasions. It attracted an audience of 350,000, despite being shown late in the evening. I hope the present membership of the Irish Film Board has a greater appreciation of the real culture and heritage of Ireland than the members who refused funding for that documentary and have a greater sense of what projects should be undertaken. I hope individuals currently involved in documentary production will not have the same experience as I had. There are wonderful opportunities to produce TV documentaries, as important stories remain to be told and researched. There is potential for top class indigenous proposals.

We must insist on quality production, better camera and sound work and a high technical standard. Scripting is also very important. We must produce top quality scriptwriters. Most productions depend on a good scriptwriter. Historical accuracy and continuity demand good scriptwriting. Very good work is being done in the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dún Laoghaire but we must examine the education system to see how we can encourage the directors, producers, camera people, sound technicians and make-up artists of the future.

The decision of Morgan O'Sullivan who has been one of the great drivers of the Irish film industry to leave the country makes a statement about the future of major film production here. The Minister has a representative in Los Angeles but the person concerned will find it very difficult to attract major productions to Ireland. The production of "The Tudors" has remained here because of the incentives provided by the Irish Film Board. Nevertheless, the fact that Morgan O'Sullivan has left the country and that no major productions have been attracted in the past five years indicates that the international industry is extremely competitive and that it will be difficult to attract major productions to Ireland.

I ask the Minister to refer to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the film industry. Will it be published? I understand it contains major recommendations. Will the Minister take the opportunity provided by the Finance Bill to improve section 481 and provide better incentives for film-making? Will he look at what is being done in the United Kingdom, eastern Europe and New Zealand and improve on their incentives?

Filming in Dublin is given a major advantage over filming in the rest of the country by the SIPTU 40 mile rule. Some years ago Hallmark filmed "Jurango", which is based on a book by John B. Keane, in Dublin rather than north Kerry because of this rule. Workers who travel more than 40 miles from home must be given overnight accommodation and greater expenses. Has the Government attempted to discuss this rule with SIPTU? The rule ensures rural areas are disadvantaged. Many production companies would prefer to film in rural areas which are more appropriate to the subject matter of their films, but they are prevented from doing so by the economic constraint of the 40 mile rule. I ask the Minister to respond to the issues I have raised.

I am glad the Minister continues to adopt a Fianna Fáil tinted view of "The Wind That Shakes the Barley". Many Fine Gael friends of mine who have seen it take quite the opposite view.

Frank Aiken.

The issue, rather than the film, is as divisive as ever.

It showed how difficult it was to set up the State. It showed the sacrifices.

It showed how difficult it was for both sides.

If that is Deputy Deenihan's view of history, what hope is there for us?

Revisionists.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh was a very slow learner.

We learned a lot quicker than Fine Gael did.

It took Deputy Ó Snodaigh's party 70 years to come into this House.

Order, please. Time is limited.

I thank the Chair for his protection.

We were not having a go at Deputy Coveney.

As an amendment Bill, the legislation does one precise thing. It increases to €200 million the maximum amount of money which can be spent to support Irish film and make the country competitive for film making through the Irish Film Board. We have reached the £80 million ceiling which was put in place previously. I presume the idea of resetting the upper limit every few years is to provide the House with an opportunity to review the way in which money is being spent. We will have to revert in three or four years to produce a further amendment Bill to increase the threshold from €200 million to, one presumes, €300 million. It is a welcome approach. We often complain on this side of the House that the Government is not accountable or transparent enough in its approach to spending. The measure before us is one of the few positive examples of oversight whereby we are forced every few years to reconsider the way in which money has been spent.

I agree with Deputy Deenihan on promoting indigenous film production companies and the worry that we are not as competitive as we were a few years ago in attracting large-scale film productions to Ireland. Attracting productions is not only about specific films, but about promoting the island of Ireland. The Minister would receive support from Fine Gael if he were to constructively revise taxation policy in this area to make Ireland as competitive as it needs to be to attract film productions.

The main issue I wish to address is subtitling of films. There is a role for the Irish Film Board to ensure that everyone can access films in the cinema or on video or DVD if that is their choice. We have attempted half-heartedly to address subtitling in broadcasting legislation, which has not worked. We appealed to RTE, TV3 and others to put subtitling in place on a form of voluntary basis on a higher percentage of their programmes. The Minister will be aware of these matters as there is a strong deaf community in County Kerry. They have been campaigning for a long time to ensure that when members of the community attend the cinema, they can access films in the way the rest of us can.

The Irish Film Board may be the vehicle through which to address the issue. It is a matter on which I would like the Minister to respond. We are required to take action under Television Without Frontiers, the upcoming EU legislation. Governments will have to put in place plans to address the accessibility of programming and films through subtitling as well as other methods of increasing access by the deaf community. Consideration of the matter would be welcomed strongly by the deaf and hard of hearing community. It is not before time to act as other countries have already managed this very effectively. While we have made some improvements in the past ten years in Ireland, our provisions fall far short of what is required. As the necessary technology is available, there is no reason a deaf or hard of hearing person should be unable to access films at the cinema in the same way as those of us who can hear. I would appreciate in response as precise an outline of the Minister's views as possible.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2006. It is important legislation which gives us an opportunity to participate in a debate on the film industry. I feel very strongly that the Irish film industry needs our support and welcome the further investment set out in the Bill.

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2000 to increase from £80 million to €200 million the maximum of the aggregate amount of any investments, loans, grants or moneys provided by the board towards the cost of making films and training in all aspects of film making. It is necessary to deal with this issue head-on.

The film industry is very important given the high level of creative talent in Ireland, which needs to be developed. We need radical change and greater confidence among people who deal with the arts generally. We must consider the positive contribution of the film industry and its potential to provide employment in the State. There is significant potential to take on young people to develop their many skills and talents. It is very relevant in the modern age, especially when one considers the growth of IT and the development of technology. Employment is very important. Coláiste Dhúlaigh, a college of further education in Coolock in my constituency, runs an excellent film-making course in which many young people are involved. Last Wednesday, I had the Minister for Education and Science in my constituency to work with the young people at the college on the issue. She saw their work at first hand. I hope she will support the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism at Cabinet and when he lobbies the Minister for Finance for support for the film industry.

The Irish Film Board must be radical, brave and creative. These issues must be dealt with. There are many Irish companies that want to develop their skills and resources. Many small, Irish film companies make an excellent contribution to television and film and have great potential to grow further. As legislators, it is up to us to support them. I know many of the people involved in the industry who are making a significant contribution to the State. It is important to maintain the high standards and quality of work of these companies. We have the best of scriptwriters in the State, many of whom come from the north side of Dublin. They have made a significant contribution to the development of the film industry. When a country has talented writers, it is important to support them.

We must face the reality of an economy in which everyone is very busy working. In a recent poll, 82% of respondents said they did not have enough time due to the demands of work to enjoy films, the arts and live theatre. The sad downside of a booming economy is our seeming inability to manage our time. We must manage our time and resources positively and constructively. We cannot allow 82% of the potential market to continue to be unable to enjoy and facilitate the arts, including film making, due to the demands of family circumstances and work. Given that economic growth of 5.25% is expected over the next couple of years, I urge the Cabinet to put resources into the film industry. I welcome the positive developments in the film industry. We can no longer use the excuse that we do not have the money for investment. That debate is over. The debate now is about how we distribute the resources.

We should always respect the film makers, artists and writers who have made a massive contribution to the country. Many of them, with small budgets, have put Ireland on the map internationally in the context of the arts, music, drama and film making. It is important to recognise this. As legislators we have a duty to lead this debate and support these people. There is nothing wrong with supporting and rewarding the talented and creative people we have on the island. Now that we are in a new mode on this island with the development of the peace process, there is great potential for the many artists and film makers coming onto the pitch.

It is important not to be in any way negative or hostile towards people, particularly young people, who come up with new ideas and who are radical and creative. The youth of this country have a major contribution to make to the development of the film industry. Dáil na nÓg made a submission to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights this morning. The delegates were pushing the agenda of youth and that agenda included cultural issues, artists, film making and music. Not enough support is given to the people involved in this area. We need to focus on them. We have some fantastic musicians and writers in the State and we have a responsibility to support them. They are on different parts of the island but the north side of Dublin is particularly lucky to have many talented and creative people who have made a massive contribution.

In the context of history, films such as "Michael Collins" and "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" make a very important contribution to Irish life by opening up the debate on Irish history and challenging those who have a revisionist view of history. We should not be afraid to have this debate. Let us thank the film makers for provoking the debate because in any democracy debate leads to a healthier democracy. A group is currently trying to launch a film about James Connolly which I ask the Minister to support because the republican-labour tradition on the island has been neglected for many years. James Connolly put social issues on the agenda at a time of great political turmoil on the island and our children and grandchildren would learn valuable lessons from a film about him. I urge those with an interest in James Connolly and in the republican-labour tradition to support this project which challenges the revisionist view of history and provokes debate, which is healthy in a democracy, and also gives everybody an opportunity to make a contribution.

The Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill contains many progressive measures, which I support. However, the Minister has a responsibility to lead in supporting the Irish Film Board and the film industry on this island. There is great potential in the film industry and we have only tapped a small part of that, given the talent and creativity that is obvious when one meets particular groups. I welcome this debate and this important legislation. It is a start, but we need to do much more. This is a non-political issue. The arts, creativity, and the film industry are positive and good for the island and should be supported. I would like to see an all-island approach to the issue, having met many creative people from Northern Ireland who are very anxious to get involved in making films and support the arts in Ireland. We should not shy away from the potential that exists in that respect, It is up to everyone in this House to support the Bill.

There are seven minutes remaining.

Can the fact that the previous slot was not availed of be taken into account?

Will the Minister agree to allow the debate to run until its scheduled conclusion time to allow all the five minute slots to be availed of?

I have no say in that, although I would have no difficulty with it.

We have run out of time sooner than anticipated. However, I will avail of part of this slot and Deputy Ó Snodaigh will avail of the remainder.

I broadly welcome the Bill before us. The Green Party supports the idea of increasing the capacity of the Irish Film Board to invest and use that investment to increase both the number of projects and their economic benefit in the country. The Minister has highlighted the increase in the number of projects and the value of the projects with money invested in Ireland in 2006 to date over the figure for 2005.

One concern is that the listing supplied by the Minister consists largely of television projects. However, one of the remits of the Irish Film Board is to get an appropriate balance between mainstream cinema, television and new media, which is not mentioned in this Bill. I also regret that this debate is so truncated that we do not have an opportunity of discussing the wider issues because visual media, especially the new media, IT the use of computers, and home computers in particular, is very much where this industry is heading both in terms of downloads of mainstream cinema and the popularity of websites such as YouTube. The Irish Film Board therefore needs to have in place a strategy to adapt to the new reality that is new media and new film making. This Bill could have provided an opportunity to address some of those issues to put the policy remit in its new context. Unfortunately today is the last day of the session before Christmas and another piece of legislation is being rushed.

There are other aspects of the work of the Irish Film Board that deserve comment, for instance, the support in regard to festivals such as the Cork Film Festival, which is the major international film festival here. As a Cork Deputy I very much welcome that. The inclusion of a competition element in festivals, concentrating on short films in particular, is something the Cork Film Festival has greatly encouraged in recent years. It is fairly apt, given that in literature terms Cork is also the Irish centre for the short story as much as anything else. The idea of promoting short films both as a way of training film makers and those involved in film production, and of valuing the short film as an art form in itself, is something the Minister commented on in his opening speech, and the Green Party would be very supportive of such measures.

Another aspect of Irish Film Board's work on which I would like to comment in the brief time that is available to me is the need for clearer policy statements as to where we stand on the idea of co-production. Where is the added value that the country achieves subsequently? The Minister has mentioned "The Wind That Shakes The Barley", a film made in Ireland with Irish actors, by a British director, largely funded from outside of this country, yet reflecting a period of this country's history. If we want cultural statements and historical statements to go out about who we are as a people, the production element of any large-scale film is something over which we need to have more control.

Another aspect of many of the films that have been made in Ireland in the past number of years, valuable as they have been, is that the film makers have used Ireland merely as a staging post. The background was irrelevant. They were here because of the tax incentives. It did not really matter whether "King Arthur" was made in Ireland or in New Zealand. We need a film industry which will reflect Ireland culturally, as the Spanish and Polish film industries have been doing for several decades. The Minister needs to look to his policy remit by offering more guidance through legislation and in terms of how resources are provided by the Irish Film Board to bring us to that level.

While this Bill is limited in scope to the capacity of the Irish Film Board to invest and the House is united in wanting to ensure it invests wisely, I hope the Minister will give us the opportunity of holding a serious debate on the future of the Irish film industry.

I welcome the opportunity of speaking on this Bill which I hope will ensure the Irish Film Board's work is not restricted by a lack of funding. The Bill will enable the board to deal with the ongoing evolution in the domestic and international film industry. It is important for the economy, as well as our prestige internationally, that we sustain the commendable work carried out by the Irish Film Board. Last year, the number of films completed was substantially higher than in the previous year. Some of the earlier downturn in film production could have been the result of the uncertainty surrounding the future section 481 but, thankfully, that issue has been addressed.

The film industry has significant employment potential. Even though employment in the industry is not usually permanent because of the cyclical nature of film production, we need to ensure workers are fully protected. In that regard, the labour inspectorate should be asked to investigate the practices of certain companies. I am aware, for example, of a large post-production company in Dublin which abuses young people by making them work long hours for approximately €3 per hour. Deputy Morgan is confirming that scandal and will be raising it on an ongoing basis until it is addressed. The same company appears to be placing people on night shifts regardless of whether they have already worked a day shift. Such practices leave a bad feeling in my mouth and they should be stopped.

The greater the number of films made in Ireland through the encouragement of the Irish Film Board, the stronger will be the creative side of Irish society. Irish films offer a vehicle to show the world the beauty of our cities and countryside and an opportunity to tell a wider audience the stories of generations of Irish people. The spectacular box office success of "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" demonstrates that money can be made from investing in films and this will hopefully encourage Irish investors. I support Deputy Finian McGrath in calling on investors to consider projects currently in gestation, such as the film about James Connolly to which the Deputy referred. The support of Deputies has been sought for this project and I hope we will be able to augment any contributions made by the Irish Film Board if that project gets under way so the world can understand the influence Mr. Connolly had not only in Ireland but also in England and the United States.

By passing this Bill, we will enable the Irish Film Board to fully meet its responsibilities. I hope we will be debating a further extension next year because, by spending the €200 million it has been allocated, the board will have made a sound investment in terms of supporting successful films. The economy can only benefit from the returns and tourism generated. Molaim an Bille.

I thank Deputies for their valuable contributions to the debate on this essential Bill.

With regard to projects certified under section 481, this was a unique provision when it was first introduced in Ireland but, naturally, it was quickly copied elsewhere when it proved successful. I have substantially enhanced that section but the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Gordon Brown, who has a personal interest in film, introduced a similar incentive scheme in Britain. We must now consider how we can improve our scheme and decide whether we should begin negotiations with a view towards finding areas of compatibility rather than engaging in a Dutch auction. The effect of section 481 in terms of the number of films certified in 2006 is encouraging. Between 1994 and 2001, €581.8 million was certified under the section, while €62.2 million was certified in 2002, €84.8 million in 2003, €58.1 million in 2004 and €54.8 million in 2005. The decrease in 2005 reflected a degree of uncertainty with regard to the future of the provision but this year has seen a significant increased to €110.5 million.

Ireland attracts more television projects than elsewhere because we are unique in offering incentives for television production, whereas other jurisdictions only support films.

The Irish Film Board is aware of the importance of production infrastructure to the film industry including, in particular, the viability of Ardmore Studios, and it keeps this area under constant review. I expect the board to keep me informed of developments regarding requirements for film productions, including matters pertaining to Ardmore Studios. It is important to point out that the Government's support for the Irish Film Board has grown by 93% over the last five years. The Government has ensured the security of the film sector by enabling the board to continue to support training, production and development and the introduction of new initiatives, in keeping with the development and demands of the sector. Some 740 applications, on average, were made each year to the Irish Film Board between 2003 and 2005. Approximately 25% of those applications were successful.

Value for money is a particularly important aspect of this matter. The Irish Film Board's production-investment outlay has a leveraging factor of almost 1:10. Production in this sector was stimulated between 1993 and 2005 by the distribution through the board of €50.02 million of production loans in respect of feature films, television drama and animation. The productions in question had a combined budget of €482.65 million. In other words, for every €1 of Irish Film Board investment, almost €10 was generated by the industry.

One of the key strategies of the Irish Film Board is the development of talent, for example through screen training. It engages with new talent by means of the short film schemes, for example. Such talent is nurtured further by Screen Training Ireland. Scripts and ideas for screenplays are subsequently developed. Money may be invested in those screenplays. Most projects which have received production loans from the Irish Film Board over the last five years were developed from the script stage.

There is a tremendous amount of film-making activity in the regions. Projects have been shot in counties Donegal, Kilkenny, Louth, Monaghan, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Sligo, Leitrim, Galway, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin since 2000. In 2004, the Irish Film Board established the regional film and television fund to encourage film-making throughout the country. The fund aims to make the most of the wealth of locations in Ireland and to generate regional film and television activity. It is appropriate that a film called "The Running Mate", which should be shown on TG4 soon, has been shot in County Kerry in recent times. I understand the film is about a fellow running for the Dáil in the Kerry North constituency. I do not know whether the film has any relevance to Deputy Deenihan.

I do not have a running mate.

All I know is that whoever has a running mate in that constituency might consider watching the film because it might be instructive.

The Minister may not be aware that the Irish Film Board sponsored a documentary about a candidate who stood in Kerry North at the last election. I do not doubt that the documentary could be used by other candidates to their advantage.

I understand that "The Running Mate", which will be shown on TG4, is quite entertaining.

People have asked why there should be a limit on the Irish Film Board's outlay. As Deputy Coveney pointed out, it is considered prudent to keep the limit at a certain level to make it necessary to review the amounts every four or five years and to provide an opportunity for periodic debate. I was asked whether the proposed sum is high enough. Without pre-empting what might be allocated in the annual Estimates process, I consider than an increase of €100 million over four or five years is sufficient, especially as the capital allocation for 2007 is €17 million.

The issue of captioning, which was mentioned during the debate, comes under the aegis of my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The matter may be discussed with the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, in the context of the television without frontiers directive.

The Irish Film Board has demonstrated on many occasions that it has a strong commitment to the development of the Irish language. It has put in place a specific initiative to develop new talent in Irish language-related broadcasting. I refer to the development and production of short films, documentaries, drama, children's television and feature films in Irish. In 2004, the board co-produced "Gearrscannáin", which is a compilation of Irish language short films for schools. The production, which was embraced by the education sector, was distributed to every secondary school in Ireland. In 2006, the board invested in two landmark Irish language projects — "Kings", which is a feature film adaptation of the play "The Kings of the Kilburn High Road", and "Aifric", which is a teen drama for TG4.

In 2005, the Irish Film Board co-developed a pilot module of moving image studies for transition year students, to introduce them to the study of the contemporary moving image. As the pilot was a success, a second phase of it will be rolled out to 60 schools throughout the country in 2007. This project is in keeping with the board's strategic aim of developing new Irish audiences and new film-making talent. In that context, I was pleased recently to make contributions of €100,000 to the Ark arts centre and of €50,000 to the National Association of Youth Drama. These funds will help to stimulate an interest in the arts among young people. Part of the additional allocation of €2.5 million that I recently made available to the Arts Council will be used to help the council to become involved in young people's initiatives.

Ireland's recent success on the international film stage has been quite impressive. It is significant that a number of Irish people have won Oscars in the last 25 years. Josie MacAvin won the Oscar for art direction in 1985 for her work on "Out of Africa". Daniel Day Lewis won the best actor Oscar in 1989 for his work on "My Left Foot". Brenda Fricker won the best supporting actress Oscar in 1989 for her work on the same film. Neil Jordan won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 1992 for his work on "The Crying Game". Michelle Burke won the Oscar for best make-up in 1982 and 1992 for her work on "Quest for Fire" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Peter O'Toole was awarded an honorary Oscar for acting in 2003. Martin McDonagh won the best live action short film Oscar for "Six Shooter" earlier this year, which was wonderful.

I was also asked about cross-Border initiatives. The Irish Film Board works closely with the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission on joint marketing activities, such as the annual Irish pavilion at the Cannes film festival. Both bodies participate in joint promotional activities — they co-host inward trade missions and attend trade missions together overseas. The board and the commission work together to invest in film, television and documentary projects. The Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission took part in the Irish trade mission to India, which was led by the Taoiseach, in January of this year. It subsequently co-hosted an inward trade mission involving key Indian film and television producers. The commission is a member of the network of regional film offices. Over the last three years, the agencies have co-invested in 12 film projects, representing one third of all Irish indigenous film production. Many of those projects were shot in the Border region.

Irish animation is highly regarded internationally for its ability to produce award-winning films which are independently financed and produced with a great amount of skill. The Irish Film Board, which has been investing in Irish animation for over ten years, has developed and produced a considerable volume of Irish-generated film and television projects. Such projects attract international financiers, broadcasters and audiences. It is estimated that 300 full-time and freelance animators are working in the Irish animation sector. The sector is bigger at present than it was in the 1990s when the Sullivan Bluth animation studios from the United States were based in Dublin. Those studios established and upskilled the Irish animation sector. Many third level sectors train those who wish to work in the sector, which is responsible for generating its own intellectual capital and is beginning to realise its significant export potential. While I am talking about animation production, I should mention that "Give Up Your Aul Sins" was deservedly nominated for the Oscar for best animated short film.

It is sometimes forgotten that the Irish Film Board has a relatively small number of staff. Its full staffing complement is in the order of 16 extremely dedicated and committed people. It is clear from the figures I have given to the House that the staff are worth their weight in gold. They have done a great deal for the Irish film industry. Everybody involved in the industry in Ireland and overseas thinks very highly of the board's workers and so do I.

I hope the decision to locate Ireland's film ambassador in Hollywood will be of enormous benefit to the industry in the short and medium terms. We will see how it works. When I went to Los Angeles, I was advised by many people involved in the film industry that Ireland was at a disadvantage because it did not have a permanent presence there. I expect the decision that has been taken, which should be welcomed, will give us an advantage.

We should celebrate the success of Irish films this year. I refer, for example, to the Oscar for best live action short film and the wonderful success of "The Wind that Shakes the Barley". I am not sure whether it shook Fine Gael.

The Minister was hoping it would shake us.

I am afraid not.

When the Palme d'Or was awarded to "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", I was asked by a reporter from Sky News whether I would acknowledge that it was a British film and that the British would be claiming credit for it. I said the British would not be claiming credit for it after they had seen it. I was quite correct — they have not been claiming credit for it since then. I doubt that Fine Gael will be claiming credit for it either. In any event, we know it is just a film, even if it is evocative. It was pointed out that it is important that films stimulate debate about our history. It is important that, irrespective of the side of the equation one comes from, one enjoys the film. There has been a great deal of enjoyment of Irish films this year and that is a wonderful tribute to the Irish Film Board and all involved in the industry.

Question put and agreed to.
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