John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

When the Palme d'Or was awarded to "The Wind that Shakes the Barley", I was asked by a reporter from Sky News whether I would acknowledge that it was a British film and that the British would be claiming credit for it. I said the British would not be claiming credit for it after they had seen it. I was quite correct — they have not been claiming credit for it since then. I doubt that Fine Gael will be claiming credit for it either. In any event, we know it is just a film, even if it is evocative. It was pointed out that it is important that films stimulate debate about our history. It is important that, irrespective of the side of the equation one comes from, one enjoys the film. There has been a great deal of enjoyment of Irish films this year and that is a wonderful tribute to the Irish Film Board and all involved in the industry.

See this speech in context