Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 September 2021

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media

Engagement with Screen Ireland

Ms Désirée Finnegan:

I do not think we have any new ones and we are always very careful about speaking of the projects that might be here until the companies that are doing them are ready to share. Certainly, the partnership with Tourism Ireland is really strong and we intend to continue that with any of the major projects that come into Ireland, and we are doing everything we can in working with them.

Could I mention one word on cinema as well in terms of admissions? In 2019, as Ms Bergin was saying, we were the highest cinema-going country per capitain Europe. We in Screen Ireland are all passionate advocates in supporting cinema and ensuring we help it to evolve into the future. To give the committee a sense of numbers, in 2019, the total box office was €79 million. In 2020, it was down to €27 million, and we are at about €18 million at this stage in this year. It is impossible to predict, as Ms Bergin said, when we can get back to full capacity but we believe that when we do, we will see audiences coming back for that experience.