Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am sure other Members, including the Ceann Comhairle, will join me in congratulating Mr. Damian Foxhall, the first Irish co-skipper to win a round-the-world yacht race. That is a remarkable achievement. He is from the same maritime county as the Ceann Comhairle. It is a first and we should send our congratulations to him and his co-skipper.

The Minister was heavily lobbied on the tax incentives and there were minor tax enhancements but not enough to significantly rescue the film industry, which is on its knees. I welcome additional funding to the Irish Film Board but that is for Irish film, and it is right that it should be. However as the Minister knows, to get the economies of scale needed in the film industry to retain crews and actors and get the facilities needed we must attract international films, such as we have done in the past. The Minister knows that Ardmore Studios is on its knees. It just lost the film "Mary Queen of Scots". The production team was here interviewing and has pulled out because of the better incentives available in Scotland. It is another nail in the coffin of a significant part of our indigenous industry. It behoves the Minister to be active on this. What is envisaged if the tax incentive is not available? We have a successful indigenous industry but it has not, and never will have, the economies of scale to sustain itself unless supplemented by something from abroad.

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