Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 July 2020
32. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of trainees in the live action film sector who qualified and were accredited as a result of such training; the categories; the number of trainees who are now employees of film production companies in receipt of public funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17395/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government supports the continued growth of the audiovisual industry and considers skills development as a key facet of this growth. Recent years have seen a firm focus on skills development and career progression rather than on training. Section 481 tax relief requires beneficiaries to provide opportunities for training and skills development in the course of production. Changes were made to the administration of Section 481 in April 2019 and Screen Skills Ireland now has a role in assessing certain ‘Skills Development Plans’ required as part of the section 481 process. Where eligible expenditure will exceed €2 million, applicants must develop a comprehensive Skills Development Plan with Screen Skills Ireland, outlining planned training and skills development initiatives. They are encouraged to undertake a skills needs analysis to ascertain not alone the skills needs of the production and/or the company but also the needs of the individuals engaged and the wider screen sector. Training and upskilling is encouraged across all levels of the production and new frameworks distinguish between new entrants, trainees and upskillers. As part of this process, Screen Skills Ireland consulted with the Screen Guilds and developed resources for producers to capture skills activity data, including outcomes and impact. Since April 2019, over 140 different projects have been certified by my Department with just under 1000 skills development participants engaged on these projects. About 60% of skills participants were engaged in ‘Feature Film’ and ‘Television Drama’ categories of eligible projects and most of the remaining 40% were engaged on animation projects.
Screen Skills Ireland is working with Screen Guilds to develop a competency framework for all ‘below-the-line’ roles in the sector. This will support the Section 481 skills requirements, identify current and future skills needs and support future progression opportunities. Screen Guilds of Ireland represent 23 crew guilds and 2,500 crew members.
