Mr. Gerry O'Brien:

We touched on that in our submission. If Revenue is involved, we should have a contact for Revenue because the industry is financially complex and at times there is a misunderstanding as to its purpose. Is it for profit for a handful of privately-owned SMEs or is it for what it is supposed to be for, which is to stimulate employment, growth and expertise?

Valuing of property is something that should interest Revenue. Many years ago I had a conversation with an actor who said “Gerry, I wouldn’t mind paying loads of tax. Could you imagine what I’d be earning?” If that sort of value is put back into individuals in our industry and community, then we should have a liaison with Revenue because that is the body putting money in on behalf of the taxpayer.

On training and infrastructure, there is an over-reliance on cheap labour using interns and trainees, and that can overpopulate a situation. We have to get back to the balance. One of the great things I had as a young actor was working with older actors who were hugely experienced. That is where I gained most of my experience. It is the same for crews working in a specific area like film because there are nuances to what they do. They say such a person is a carpenter but a carpenter for a house has different skills to a guy building a set for a film. It has to be ensured experience is married to upcoming writers, directors, performers, carpenters, crew and electricians, so they all benefit from the experience. The over-reliance on trainees, interns, etc., is something we should watch and be careful of.