Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for updating us on some of the aspects of Oireachtas joint committee report on the film industry.

Today, I attended a meeting in the audiovisual room organised by Deputy Boyd Barrett attended by the workers and members from the industry. It was disappointing to hear men who had significant experience in the industry, ranging from 12 to 35 years, explaining what has happened since the Oireachtas committee meeting on employment conditions in the industry. Many of these workers have not got work since. They are blacklisted as such within the industry. They explained in detail their situations. One was a props engineer for 12 years and was classed as a trainee for eight years and has not received any contact from the industry since the committee meeting last year. They are waiting for phone calls but they do not get them.

Another worker in the industry explained how he and a colleague applied for jobs in the UK, which they got. However, subsequently, they got a phone call from the same company which told them that it had contacted other companies in Ireland and were told not to take them on because they are on a list. In an industry with significant potential, everybody should share the money made in it. The way these men have been treated needs to be challenged.

As legislators and public representatives, we must stand over the fact that a large amount of public money is going into the film industry. Employment conditions of this nature should be discouraged. The Minister said progress has been made in that the companies must go through the Department and sign up to certain workplace standards. However, that does not seem to be the case and I am still quite concerned about it.

One man at the meeting today asked why he and his three colleagues were sacked from the John Player site when they raised the issue of asbestos and health and safety there. The reply from Screen Guilds of Ireland was horrendous.

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