Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is a degree of value in what Deputy English said. That may be something we could explore at some point in the future when the Minister with responsibility for the sector could look critically at the idea of introducing sectoral bargaining arrangements on a more formal basis. I am open to persuasion on whether a joint labour committee is the right approach. Deputy English is familiar with the sectoral employment order system, which might be more appropriate for a sector like that.

To comment a little on Deputy Matthews’s remarks, I do not think anybody here is trying to undermine the sector at all. I spoke at length on this last night, as did Deputy Boyd Barrett. We all value the sector. I think to a member we support the Minister’s move to increase the cap because of the value of the sector and the potential for the sector to develop beyond where it is.

Regarding Deputy Matthews’s remarks, he made the point about how agile and flexible people need to be in the sector. We know the insecurities that are there due to the nature of the sector. He is actually making the case, in many ways, for a sectoral bargaining system and for a form of collective bargaining in the industry. The industry says it is there and it takes some form, but there are enforcement issues. It was correctly pointed out that we have a suite of employment protection legislation and safety legislation in this country that is applicable to every employment. Every employer is required to comply with it. The reality is in certain sectors, enforcement is patchy. I will put that diplomatically.

I say this as somebody who, before I was a Deputy, was on the board of companies whose business was film production. I was involved with film production of relatively small budget but high-profile and successful Irish productions in the 2000s. I have seen the spectrum of the industry. I know the majority of people want what is best for the industry, and what is best for the industry means what is best for those who work in it. The best way of addressing these issues is for the principle to be conceded by the Minister that there should be no cash without conditions. That is the principle. That does not apply just to section 481 film relief. It applies to a whole raft of other tax expenditures we are good at providing in this country, and for good reason - to benefit certain industries where there is a public policy initiative or public policy requirement to do so. However, we are not very good at using public policy to drive better outcomes for society more generally. When I say society more generally, in this regard I mean working people and the people on whom the industry depends for its success.