Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
422. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the extent to which she anticipates the film industry here and abroad to utilise the scenery in this country for filming on location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35548/23]
View answerMy Department's priorities are set out in its published Statement of Strategy 2021—2023. The overarching goal is to ensure the “sectors recover and grow in a manner that underpins social cohesion and supports strong, sustainable economic growth, with a focus on a number of cross cutting goals of equality, diversity, social inclusion, the Irish language and environmental sustainability”. The Strategy sets out the actions that my Department will take over the coming period, both nationally and regionally, to enrich the quality of life in Ireland through supporting the development of tourism, culture, arts, sports, media and Irish language. In addition to their immense inherent value, these are valued by all of our communities as important resources for social cohesion, individual and community wellbeing and for the presentation of Ireland as an attractive destination for tourism and sustainable inward investment.
The Audio-visual Action Plan was launched in June 2018. This is an industry-wide, long-term plan, under the Creative Ireland Programme, developed to support the Government’s ambition to enable Ireland to become a global hub for the production of film, TV drama and animation.
The tax incentive for the screen industries, Section 481, has been a cornerstone of the Irish screen industry in the creative and cultural value it has generated, both in terms of discovering and supporting new Irish voices, as well as showcasing Ireland’s power as an international partner, a cultural force across film, television and animation, not to mention a breath-taking location offering historic and natural beauty making it an attractive base for film locations.
Screen Ireland continues to promote Ireland as a location for filming and their extensive database of locations covers everything from modern cityscapes and Georgian and Victorian streets, to historic castles, an abundance of residential properties, and our trademark breath-taking scenery and dramatic coastlines.
