Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)

While all of this is very welcome, it is essential that funding and infrastructure be distributed fairly across the State and never concentrated in a small number of locations. County Louth provides a strong example of the potential that exists regionally when investment and opportunities are made available. The film "Skintown", produced by Keeper Pictures with the support of Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen, was filmed in Dundalk in 2025, further cementing the area's role as an emerging regional hub for film and television. Dundalk and the wider region have a proud film-making tradition. One of our own, John Moore, the Dundalk director known internationally for major action films such as "Behind Enemy Lines", "The Omen" and "A Good Day to Die Hard", continues to contribute to the sector at home through initiatives such as the John Moore Film Award at Dundalk Institute of Technology. At this moment, I will reiterate the great news that Queen's University Belfast and DkIT are going to merge and that Dundalk will be a university town. It has to be regional and not based on a few towns and cities.

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