Mr. Joe Hamill:

There has been an improvement in the tax regime for the film industry, with a commitment to keep it in place until 2020. Much of what we do in this area is through the Irish Film Board. It receives funding from the Department on the current side to run its operations and, on the capital side, to give development loans and so forth for film projects. The Department also makes places available for filming such as Collins Barracks.

The studio issue is one on which we have had discussions. There are studios in County Wicklow such as Ardmore Studios and Ashford Studios in Ballyhenry, as well as Studio Solas in Galway and various animation studios. There is capacity, but it is well acknowledged that there is pressure on it. We have been holding discussions on how to encourage the development of better or larger facilities in different places. Having these facilities available will help to deliver the big projects such as “Vikings” in Ballyhenry or “Penny Dreadful” in Ardmore Studios. If one does not have the facilities required, one will not draw these productions. With pressure on the space available, we need to examine this issue closely. We hope to bring this issue forward with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Film Board. It is not an open and shut issue, as there are potentially state aid issues that must be addressed. There are several enterprises interested in this area and the Department wants to support them to the best extent. Essentially, the money we have available for film production goes through the Irish Film Board. Beyond this, it is a case of providing tax incentives and so forth.