Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for welcoming my friends from Tara Hill national school.

We are all rightly proud of the very innovative and dynamic film, television and animation production sector here in Ireland. There was cross-party support in the previous Oireachtas, under the audiovisual media services directive, for the creation of a levy on streaming services to support the telling of Irish stories. We read this morning that the UK cross-party committee on culture, media and sport is calling for the introduction of a 5% levy on streamers to support film and TV production in the UK, joining 17 other European countries that have done this to ensure that stories get told. We see today that the Minister for the arts and media has announced that there will be a content production levy, subject to ministerial approval. I ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to outline the criteria under which the Minister for the arts and media will make the decision, if he will publish the report from Coimisiún na Meán and any evidence, and if we could have statements in this House on the future of the sector.

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