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

Today, Actors' Equity, the union representing actors in this country, submitted a petition to the Government of 3,700 actors. What they are calling for is the implementation of the Report on Section 481 – Film Tax Credit, that was published earlier this year. I asked for the committee of which I am a member to undertake this investigation. It has recommended that while we have to continue, and indeed, increase, investment in film, it has to be tied to the actors, the writers, the performers and the stage crew being remunerated properly and having, "quality employment and training", which is the condition of the nearly €100 million in public funding that goes to film producers in this country who, however, force our actors, as they were outlining again today and as I mentioned to the Taoiseach previously, to sign buy-out contracts. Under such contracts, they are forced to sign away the future revenues, royalties and residuals which actors always used get in the past. The Taoiseach may have noted the strike of writers and actors in the United States, which is on the same issues. Irish actors, whose film producers are funded with taxpayers' money, are being asked to sign lesser contracts than their English, Northern Irish, American and European counterparts. Similarly, stage crew and film crew are essentially never recognised for the service they have given to the film industry even though they may have worked for that industry for decades because they are on successive fixed-term contracts.

For years, the film crew have been saying this must be addressed. We want more investment in film but the actors, the writers, the performers, the directors and the stage crew need to be treated with respect. Blacklisting must end and they need decent terms and conditions.

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