Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2019
277. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason given by a person (details supplied) for their recent resignation from a position; if she will report on the work carried out by the person during the person's tenure in that position; and if she will provide correspondence, minutes and memoranda relating to the person's work on the film industry forum. [7475/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Joint Oireachtas Committee on Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on the Development and Working Conditions in the Irish Film Industry recommended in July that Screen Ireland (formerly the Irish Film Board) constitute a Film Forum, with an independent Chair, in order to allow all stakeholders within the sector to meet and work together to develop mutually beneficial solutions for the industry.
Screen Ireland has been endeavouring to organise the Forum and had drawn up a list of all stakeholders to invite to the Forum. These include representatives of workers in the industry which include
- The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)
- SIPTU
- Irish Film Workers Association (IFWA)
- GMBh Trade Union
- Screen Guilds of Ireland
The emergence of disputes between stakeholders have, however, impeded progress on the Forum. I understand that following the transmission of an RTÉ Prime Time programme on the film industry, ICTU and SIPTU stated that they would not attend a Forum to which the IFWA is invited, and that the Screen Guilds of Ireland gave a similar response. Based on the ICTU position, Screen Producers Ireland also indicated that it would not attend. As it has not been possible to facilitate a meeting of the proposed Forum, there has been no opportunity for the person in question to discharge a role.
My Department will work with the Audiovisual High Level Steering Group to address issues raised in the audiovisual industry, and to support the industry and the people who work in it.
