Mr. Pól Ó Gallchóir:

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an gcoiste as ucht an deis a thabhairt dúinn teacht anseo inniu agus an cur i láthair a dhéanamh. Is craoltóir náisiúnta seirbhíse poiblí é TG4. Tá ár gcláracha le feiceáil ar fud na tíre agus ar fud an domhain ar Sheinnteoir TG4. Tá muid lonnaithe i mBaile na hAbhann i gContae na Gaillimhe.

TG4 was established in 1996 as a public service broadcasting initiative to promote the Irish language and culture, raise the profile of the language as part of the Government’s wish to create a bilingual society and normalise its use.

TG4 operates as a publisher-broadcaster. We source most of our Irish language programmes from Ireland's independent production sector. Through this and through all of the other services we buy from the Irish creative sector, such as marketing, digitisation, software and hardware, music, etc., we have a significant impact on jobs in the economy, innovation levels and Ireland's economic development.

TG4 has commissioned Irish language content from more than 100 independent production companies in Ireland. Most of these are small to medium-sized enterprises. We have particularly focused on sourcing content from companies which operate through the Irish language, and many of these are located in Gaeltacht and regional areas, thus bringing significant social and cultural benefits to these rural communities with the high-skill employment they sustain.

TG4 is committed to investment in high-quality original Irish language content produced by the independent production sector in Ireland. We spend over 90% of our programme budget with this sector annually. In 2014, we purchased €22 million worth of Irish language programmes and services from the sector and a priority of our strategy is to grow this spend in future years.

TG4 also places an emphasis on nurturing talent in the Irish language creative economy through our development programmes which support first-time producers, directors and writers in the Irish language. This is done through initiatives such as the provision of training courses for Irish language producers, writers and directors and support for media courses in universities and institutes of technology.

IBEC's Audiovisual Federation research on the Irish film and television industry shows that in excess of 300 highly skilled and creative full-time jobs in the film and production sector are directly sustained by TG4 commissions on an annual basis. TG4's Irish language soap, "Ros na Rún", now in its 20th year of production, creates a significant level of direct employment and contracted personnel in the local economy.

Through our work with the independent production sector in Ireland, TG4 also helps to develop the capabilities of the companies and individual talent with whom we work. By investing in skills and training, services and technology systems and approaches, and by working to defined standards, the capabilities of the production and creative sector in Ireland are continually enhanced. We also help to raise finance for the independent production sector through working with it to help it secure sound and vision funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, funding from the Irish language broadcast fund and European media programme in addition to helping them work with international co-production partners such as European broadcasters.

The effect of TG4's expenditure every year extends beyond the first round of our purchases such as content or marketing services as additional economic value is created further down the supply chain and in other markets. Thus the effect of TG4's spending is multiplied as it trickles down through the economy. The multiplier effect of TG4's expenditure, direct and indirect, in terms of contribution to Ireland's national earnings was €74 million in 2014 with an employment impact of 1,150 jobs, including production sector jobs. This reflects the level of TG4 expenditure in Ireland on indigenous programming and creative services rather than on purchasing these from international markets. For every €1 invested by TG4 in the creative industries in Ireland, it was worth more than €2 to the economy of Ireland in 2014.

The creative industries combine conventional cultural industries, for example, film and television, publishing and advertising, with digital media, software and technology sectors. Much is based on intellectual property, and the fast-changing nature of the creative economy generates many opportunities. If the global creative economy was a country, it would be equivalent to being the fourth largest economy in the world, and it would have the fourth largest labour force with 144 million workers.

Research from Nesta also shows that creative industries rely much less on imports than manufacturing sectors. The commissioning of programmes from the independent production sector and services we source from other sectors will continue to support a vibrant and creative production sector in Ireland, the Gaeltacht and other regional areas outside Dublin in particular.

Looking ahead for TG4, we are seeking to grow our contribution to job creation, innovation and economic development in the creative economy. We aim to maximise the share of our public funding which we spend on Irish language content. We also aim to continue to spend most of our programming budget with the independent production sector rather than purchasing content from international markets. This will provide for investment in the creative sector and job creation. TG4 is establishing a digital Irish language archive, sourcing systems, digitisation, archiving and other Irish language creative services as part of this important project. Since the beginning of 2015, with the assistance of grant-in-aid from the BAI, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, TG4 has indirectly employed five people with language and IT skills to archive and catalogue its Irish language content.

These activities and many others will continue to sustain jobs and support the development of additional jobs, drive innovation and growth in the creative economy. Our funding must be sustained to enable us to continue to make this valuable contribution.