Ms Birch Hamilton:

I thank the Chairman. The Joint Creative Audiovisual Sectoral Group welcomes the opportunity to talk with this joint committee with specific reference to the proposed levy scheme in the general scheme of the online safety and media regulation Bill. We believe this levy could seed a national media creative content fund that will stimulate the audiovisual creative industry, allowing the Irish production sector to compete internationally by bringing stories to a global audience and in so doing, creating and sustaining additional high quality jobs and cultural capital.

Audiences are consuming high-quality, high-budget content, with exponential growth in the subscription video on-demand sector with Netflix and Disney Plus the market leaders. The budgets required to compete with this content are impossible for the indigenous sector to fund on its own. A content fund can become an enabler of this quality programming, as Irish producers will be in a stronger position if they approach the international market with a greater proportion of the budget already in place. This would transform the industry here in Ireland and, combined with existing funds, for example, from broadcasters and section 481, would deliver the additional funding required to compete at the highest level.

The national media creative content fund would support Irish independent producers to develop and produce a range of high-end Irish programming aimed at both the domestic and the international markets. Recent examples would be Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated "Normal People" and Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated animated film "Wolfwalkers". These projects used Irish production companies, directors, composers, crew, writers and post- production facilities. Such projects supported by this content fund would be authentic and relevant to Ireland, but with international appeal.

It would be mandatory that all qualifying projects be owned or co-owned by Irish independent producers. This will retain the intellectual property, IP, with the producers, allowing them to build a catalogue and a set of assets and thus to expand. The downstream benefits of retaining IP cannot be overstated and it is how the Scandinavians and the Israelis have transformed their creative industries.

There would be an emphasis on projects which will be carried on online platforms and players, as well as on more traditional broadcasting channels. This will allow this content to be consumed by younger audiences. A national media creative content fund would allow the Irish creative sector to develop its own distinctive brand based on what Ireland is best known for, namely, its people, its warmth and its scenery. There are huge downstream benefits to the Irish economy from an Irish audiovisual brand. Visiting the locations of "Game of Thrones" is the single biggest tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

We recommend that thought be given to establishing the national media creative content fund on the west coast of Ireland. The benefits of the fund are as follows: it preserves Irish storytelling against huge international competition; it encourages Irish and international broadcasters and platforms to fund Irish productions; with Irish independent producers retaining IP, and it allows these companies and the industry to grow and prosper. Ireland has a unique position as an English-speaking country within the EU and can produce series in English that are far more attractive internationally. In addition, high-end, high-budget programming employs large numbers of highly skilled people on both a full-time and contract basis; and there are also very significant downstream benefits in tourism from Irish-based series.

The national content creative sector believes that there is significant untapped potential within Ireland and we look forward to engaging with the committee to discuss these issues further.

As I have already said, we have a video which we have made especially for all members here today, which explains this far better by utilising the craft of our writers, directors, and composers. I thank the committee.