Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)

We all know that there have been very significant issues with copyright and making sure that artists have a framework within which to work. We know of the initiative during the Covid pandemic and beyond to ensure some element of payment. There is a significant lobby in that regard. It is about artists in general having a sustainable framework for their work.

That needs to be offered if we are to ensure that people can express themselves culturally, which is vital.

We are talking specifically about copyright. We will permit this Bill to go to the next Stage and may table amendments on Committee Stage. This is all happening on foot of a particular court case. There have been issues here. We are transposing the EU rental and lending directive. It is all about clarifying how royalty payments from recorded music are divided between performers and producers. This is all happening very fast, having taken a long time to get this point, so I think there could be anomalies here. There could be issues. An Teachta Ó Snodaigh spoke about the fact that there had been a lack of engagement with the sector. That needs to be followed up on. I have already stated that the short timeframe will create difficulties. Any solution that involves putting things through the logjammed courts system in Ireland is not anything I would necessarily be very hopeful about. I would expect there would be some element of industry pushback but I get what is intended here. We need to ensure that is what happens, so we will need to make sure the due diligence is carried out and that, as I said, our particular issues and the issues that recording artists may have would be addressed.

There is a wider issue that needs to be dealt with. Deputy Ó Snodaigh spoke about his legislation, which relates to the campaign that has been carried out about Irish Equity. It is about ensuring fairness and ensuring that payments and royalties are maintained as regards work that has been done. They speak about the fact that there are better frameworks in much of Europe, in Britain and in other places and, as I said, huge anomalies that need to be dealt with.

We know the other issues within the film sector, raised particularly by crew. We have seen cases that have been taken as far as the High Court. This issue falls back to the Government around section 481. While we all think section 481 has played a huge role as regards the film sector, it is about ensuring that we have a thriving film sector and that quality employment is introduced. I, Deputy Ó Snodaigh and, particularly, Deputy Boyd Barrett and others have brought up the issues of blackballing and blacklisting within the industry. They need to be addressed. The issue is that production companies draw down the section 481 money but the DACs are set up as financial devices. Then, once the film is dealt with, the DACs are disappeared, and with them go all the responsibility and all the employment rights that should exist.

There is a wider issue the State needs to look at as regards making sure that when we talk about recording artists or TV and film, we make the framework and the operations in Ireland a lot better. That will ensure sustainability of the industry. We need to look after our workers because that cannot necessarily happen with the way things are constructed at the moment.

See this speech in context