Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2011. It is an opportunity to discuss the very important issue of the film industry and the urgent need to have quality people on boards like the Irish Film Board, IFB. It is also an opportunity to examine examples of best practice, the urgent need to link the issue with job creation and the huge potential in the area of film and communication and to acknowledge the great work being done and the revenue this produces for the State. This industry provides in the region of 5,500 jobs but I will return to that later.

Last Saturday 18 Members of the Oireachtas, including Deputy Troy and I, were involved in recording for a project which supports Pieta House. Thanks to Deputy Derek Keating, we all had a great day in Ballyfermot College of Further Education recording and filming. I was totally blown away by the college, the staff, the students, the producers, the film crew and by all the great work being done there. The college has approximately 1,500 students learning to go into the film business. It is important to state we have this batch of new young students in Ballyfermot who are winning prizes and are out there in the industry.

We have a lot of talented people and we need to nurture and develop that talent which, in turn, will lead to job creation, again another part of the strategy to get us out of this economic mess. We must be brave, creative and radical. Wanting something to happen is simply not an option. I see the film industry as one of the strategies to get us out of this mess.

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2006 in order to increase the maximum of the aggregate amount of any investments, loans, grants or moneys provided by the board towards the cost of making films and providing training in all aspects of the making of films from €200 million to €300 million. The Bill does not propose any changes to the policy on the Irish film industry but an inter-departmental group is working on the future direction of the Irish film industry based on the recommendations in the Creative Capital report 2011. It does not mean any additional cost to the Exchequer as the IFB budget is set by the Oireachtas each year. Previously, when the primary legislation dealing with the IFB was being amended, the opportunity was taken to consider recent developments in the industry and the operations of the IFB.

The Irish Film Board is a national development agency of the Irish film industry established by the Irish Film Board Act 1980. The general functions of the board, as per section 4 of the 1980 Act, are to assist and encourage the making of films in Ireland and the development of an Irish film industry. That section 4 is relevant in regard to job creation, about which I spoke. We must assist and develop the Irish film industry.

While the board is obliged to have regard for the expression of the national culture through film making, it is also empowered to participate in international collaborative projects. Again, there should be a strong emphasis on our national culture, both from the point of view of culture and tourism. One of the reasons tourists visit Ireland is for the experience - they are certainly not coming for the weather - part of which is our culture, music, language and scenery. That should be linked into the whole debate on this legislation. It is important we work on international projects and I commend those going on currently which are sharing materials and resources.

Section 5 states that the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, make grants to the board to perform its functions out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. It is important there is an artistic as well as a job creation dimension to these grants. Getting more people employed in the mainstream film industry will make a massive contribution to the tax take.

Sections 6 to 8, inclusive, permit the board to make investments, loans or grants for the making of films and the provision of relevant training. Along with Deputy Troy and other Members, when we recorded a single for Pieta House at last Saturday's recording at the Ballyfermot studios, I saw how large is the number of top-class trained people in the audio-visual industry. All moneys made from the sales of the single will be going directly to that mental health charity. Will the Minister ask the Minister for Finance to reduce the VAT on the single if we make it to the Christmas No. 1 spot, which would increase the moneys going to Pieta House?

Section 10 places a cap on the total level of funding which the board can provide, an important provision. When appointing the board, I urge the Minister not to choose people he knows or who have been involved in a political party. These traditional forms of political patronage can no longer be tolerated in modern Ireland as they only reflect the unethical standards of the past. People with a proven track record in the film industry and who care passionately about it should be appointed. Appointments cannot be made on the basis of another case of jobs for the boys or down to an individual giving €7,000 to the Minister in a donation.

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