John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I understand that on average there are approximately 630 people involved in screen training. There is a great deal of interest among young people in becoming involved in film and my hope is that the success we have experienced in 2006 should result in even more people becoming motivated.

It is important to note that the Irish Film Board staff and the board work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that Irish talent is available on the world stage. That involves distributing short films to key industry personnel, locally and internationally; working with key film festivals to ensure that Irish films are considered for selection; membership of key promotional organisations such as European Film Promotion; and attendance at key events through the year to raise the profile of Irish film making talent.

The Irish Film Board is a major funder of FÁS Screen Training Ireland, which is the organisation that provides continuing training for professionals in film, television, animation and digital media. Between 2000 and 2005, an average of 630 participants have undertaken professional training with the organisation annually. That is fairly encouraging.

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