Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the secretarial staff, all of the Deputies who contributed and all of the organisations that contributed to putting the report together in the first instance. Their input led to a number of issues being highlighted in it, some of which seem to have been addressed by the various organisations and Revenue. The Minister listed them. I thank the Members who took part in the debate and gave some of the issues a good airing. I apologise that I was not able to attend the meeting in the AV room earlier. It seems I was in three places at once, such is the nature of the scheduling of business here.

An rud atá uaimse, agus glacaim le gach Ball a labhair go dtí seo, ná go go mbeidh tionscal maith againne maidir leis an scannánaíocht sa tír seo ionas go mbeidh postanna maith ann, go bhfuil scannáin den scoth ann agus go mbeidh muid ag féachaint ar thraenáil mhaith do dhaoine a bheadh ag dul isteach sa tionscal seo amach anseo, agus go bhfuil siúd atá ann ag cur leis na scileanna atá acu. Don chuid is mó, an rud atá fágtha as an méid atá sa tuarascáil ná go ndéanfaimid díriú isteach ar na fadhbanna atá léirithe anseo inniu agus go dtabharfaimid fúthu.

As I said, a number of issues were raised at the time the report was put together. Much has started to be addressed in terms of skills and upskilling, certification and so on. We will wait and see, but already it seems to be paying some dividends for those who are trying to enter the film industry and those who are already within it.

Employment protection was mentioned by the Minister. There are protections for employees, but there is a problem is availing of them if a company no longer exists.

This is one of the issues to which we can return to when the forum is established.

It will not be a grievance forum. The Minister is correct on that point. However, the underlying issues behind the grievances need to be addressed rather than dealing with issues on a case-by-case basis . Many of us have met the workers. They have raised issues such as bullying, blacklisting and blackballing. These issues are not all on one side. Accusations have also been made against those who have highlighted them. Those are matters for the Labour Court, the Workplace Relations Commission or a mediator. Some of the matters raised are covered by employee protections.

I did not hear much commentary regarding displacement. People who worked in this industry for many years are now being displaced because their jobs no longer exist. Young people have come into the industry and then been unemployed for two or three years. They have no mechanism to get back into employment. There have been suggestions that blacklisting is to blame. That might be the case but it might also be displacement. If it turns out that displacement is the real cause, there has to be a mechanism to ensure that there is a route back into the industry for those affected. If people are unemployed because of blacklisting, then that is illegal and it needs to stop. I said as much when representatives from the Abbey Theatre were before the committee. Every right-thinking person would agree with me in this regard.

We want people to be able to go to work, have dignity and be compensated for their work. It does not matter if it is the film industry or another industry, we have an obligation to ensure we put the legislation in place to protect pay and conditions. That is what the report suggests. It recommends mechanisms to overcome these difficulties. Most of those recommendations are being addressed. This is going to happen in time. It seems that this one area is not being addressed and if this was happening in any other industry, someone would be appointed to examine the issue. I do not like using the term "sides", but a mediator should be appointed to ensure both parties sit down together. That is the purpose of a mediator. When the issue arose in the Abbey Theatre, all those involved were encouraged to sit and get on with addressing the issue.

A stronger industry results from that kind of approach. We can ensure we have the best film industry by adopting said approach. We must do that because every country is working on the same basis and is trying to protect jobs. There is an understanding that films in Ireland have to be made to the highest of standards because we are in competition with many other countries. We do not want more job losses, displacement or the industry disappearing altogether. I have received correspondence from many workers in the industry. Some wrote to praise the work of the committee while others were aghast at what was said. People are speaking from personal experience and not telling lies. It might not be the experience of those who were aghast. They might have another tale to tell and they should tell it. People should be allowed to outline what has happened to them.

Action needs to happen on this issue quickly because livelihoods are at stake. The main breadwinners of some families are not working in the industry of their choice. It is an industry in which they have developed an extensive skill set over the years. In many cases, those skills are not transferable. Much attention is being paid to this issue. I ask those listening to get down to work and help deal with the real underlying issue within this industry. Some of the big issues have been dealt with but some of the animosity that has been created needs to be addressed. People need to be back in work and we need a proper industry with no major problems in the background.

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