Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 17 together.

Ardmore Studios is a commercial entity, owned 68.33% by private interests and 31.67% by the State. The State's shareholding is managed by Enterprise Ireland, EI.

Enterprise Ireland inherited the stake from NADCORP, the former State investment agency, in 1986. As a passive investor, EI has no enterprise development role in Ardmore or any involvement in its day-to-day operations.

While Enterprise Ireland offers supports to exporting companies involved in film and the creative sector, policy responsibility for the development of the film industry rests with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys.

The sale of the Ardmore Studios is a commercial decision by the owners of the studios. Ardmore Studios is being placed on the market for sale as a going concern.

Enterprise Ireland has not placed any preconditions on the pending sale of Ardmore Studios due to the existence of planning restrictions on the site which safeguard its use as a film-making studio into the future. Wicklow County Council has recently confirmed to me that it agrees to maintain the film-only zoning as a matter of policy. At the appropriate time, any proposal requiring a decision on the sale of Enterprise Ireland’s shareholding will be reviewed by Enterprise Ireland in consultation with me, as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. In turn, I will consult the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

See this speech in context