Michael Conaghan (Dublin South Central, Labour)

I welcome this Bill, which proposes to raise the cap on the total cumulative amount that can be provided by the Irish Film Board to support the Irish film industry. First, I congratulate the Irish Film Board on the success it has had to date in promoting the film industry and creating jobs. With a relatively small budget, €16 million in 2011, the industry currently employs almost 7,000 people directly and is worth an estimated €557 million to our economy. I also welcome the ambition of the industry and the film board. A recent report, Creative Capital: Building Ireland's Audiovisual Creative Economy, envisages increasing employment to over 10,000 and doubling the value of the industry to over €1 billion.

I would like to make four brief points on aspects of the Irish film industry and why it is important that this Bill is passed. The targets set by the Creative Capital report are very welcome, but equally important is the need to foster the creative capacity of our young people. In this regard, I wish to highlight the success of Ballyfermot College of Further Education in practically reinventing the film animation industry in Ireland. From humble but committed beginnings 25 years ago, this school of film animation has blossomed and is now a centre for the training of world leaders in this genre of film-making. Graduates of Ballyfermot College have formed successful companies such as Brown Bag Films, to name just one. Graduates have also worked on some of the most prestigious animation projects in the world; for example, Richard Baneham, who won an Oscar for his visual effects work on the film "Avatar". It is not always about big money. Sometimes it is just a matter of creating the context and the framework in which young people can discover their creativity and find ways of expressing it. I sat on the board of Ballyfermot College of Further Education for 19 years and I saw a lot of this evolve and develop on a shoestring. It was the creativity and commitment of teachers and students that brought the college to the forefront.

Over the coming years, another opportunity to focus the creative capacity of our young people will arise with the centenary celebrations of the Easter Rising, the 1913 lockout and the Great War. These events are laden with potential for story-telling and image-making. They are also ripe for a fresh interpretation by a new, younger generation. I call on the Government and the Irish Film Board to work together to create a special centenary film bursary for which they can invite young film makers to apply. This will give them the opportunity to tell the many untold stories of the period and commemorate and evoke these important events through fresh eyes.

In order for the film industry to reach the targets set out, it is essential that the skills of our young people match the ambitions of the film board. Currently, 98% of freelance workers in the industry have a formal qualification and 41% continue professional training. The Creative Capital report envisages an increased role for the Irish Film Board with regard to determining the creative and technical skills required by the industry and working with the education sector in the development of those skills. Today's Bill will ensure that the film board is resourced to continue to invest in training and in the colleges that provide the necessary skills to support the industry.

It is important to support the industry in its entirety and identify gaps that may arise. When people think of the film industry, they think of actors, camera operators, directors and producers, but there are a whole host of jobs created out of the limelight. Downstream jobs such as lighting and sound and hidden craft and technical skills such as costume and set design are just as important for our young people, for the industry and for the country. We need to ensure that colleges, particularly those that have already delivered in this area on a shoestring, such as Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Dún Laoghaire College of Further Education and Inchicore College of Further Education, are properly recognised and resourced to train professionals and develop the appropriate crafts and skills.

The success to date of the film and animation industries shows their potential and demonstrates the value of investing properly in education and training, encouraging young people, working with the colleges and thereby enhancing the capacity and potential of our industry.

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