Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask about oversight of this tax break. Surely if the State is to dispense such a generous scheme, while I agree with it dispensing generous schemes to encourage the arts and the film industry, should the State not have some oversight of how the scheme is administered? I have evidence that shows widespread abuse of this scheme, and I am sure other Deputies also have such evidence because, when people come to us, they come to many different parties and groups. The abuse is of the workers themselves in the way they are used by the film industry, where very highly trained workers are often taken on as trainees and told there are no other positions available. In this way, the industry uses camera crew, sound men and other types of trained professionals at a very cheap rate. This probably links in to the increased use of precarious, illegitimate and bogus contracts in this country. Employers seem to be finding any scheme possible to undermine workers' rights and I think this scheme is being used in that abuse.

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