Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 20: Broadcasting Fund
Broadcasting Fund Financial Statements 2011
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Financial Statements 2011

1:00 pm

Mr. Ciarán Kissane:

It is a particular structure. The 90% is only in the case of projects that are availing of the section 481 tax relief and the money that we allocate upfront helps them to increase the amount of money they can leverage through the tax relief. Unlike in other grants, the funding, once we pay it directly to the producer, goes into a special account where it is held until the producer comes back and draws it down after the production has been completed. In fact, it is probably safer than the normal structure whereby we would give 30% or 40% of the funding directly to the producer for him or her to start making the programme.