Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That is quite an extraordinary response from the Minister. In the beginning it was referred to as "a studio". This studio was set up with the assistance of Seán Lemass in 1958. It then became the National Film Studios of Ireland in the 1970s. It was where "My Left Foot" and "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" were filmed. I could go through the list of classic films. This is part of Irish cultural heritage and history. I should also mention Troy Studios. Is the Minister joking in suggesting that public money did not go into it? I believe that Troy got €9 million or €10 million from Limerick County Council, which extraordinarily ends up in private ownership.

Section 481 tax relief to film producers has probably come to €2 billion to €3 billion in recent years with about a €250 million in Screen Ireland grants and the State owns nothing. IDA Ireland sold off its share for an undisclosed price in 2018 and then it was flipped to an American company in a deal rumoured to be worth about €80 million to €90 million. Somebody has made a lot of money here and we used to own this studio.

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