Ms Susan Kirby:

I will jump in to respond to the further questions relating to tourism, the regions and Irish citizens. First, I fully endorse the point made by Mr. McCabe in respect of IP. It is the cornerstone of the development of a sustainable, globally competitive sector. I fully support his points in that regard.

From my point of view and that of Screen Producers Ireland, we have seen brought to life the real impact that place making and destination building can have in connection with productions such as "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars" filmed in Ireland. Someone mentioned to me that one cannot get a booking in Lahinch on the back of "Smother" having recently been broadcast. I believe one cannot get a booking anywhere in Ireland and more power to them. I know the committee sits over some very challenged sectors in terms of tourism, the arts, culture, entertainment and hospitality. This absolutely has the ability to place-make for Ireland. It is being done all over the world and it is something in respect of which Ireland can really compete. There is already a lot of work happening between the tourism agencies and the kind of outward-facing agencies for Ireland Inc. We advocate very strongly that this has a wider impact than the immediate economic impact, but also what one sees on the ground when the big productions arrive. Members will have heard of the Disney production being filmed in Enniskerry. The film crew are buying coffee from the coffee shops there and staying in local hotels. There is an immediate impact on the ground. It is a very substantial tool for Ireland Inc. to promote itself.

In terms of the Irish citizen, it is so important that we see stories that represent ourselves and that we see ourselves on screen. We certainly have the artistic and creative talent to create those stories, direct them and compose the music to attach to the story. We strongly believe it is a part of our citizenship and nationhood to have the ability to tell those stories. The Deputy made a very good point regarding access. Key to this is that the independent Irish producer would be the one drawing down the funding or accessing the content levy. To bypass them would be inconceivable because that would mean there would be direct access to the fund and then the smaller producers and other producers would not benefit. Realistically, that is a protection for the sector.