Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time".

I am pleased to introduce the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025 to the House. It was initiated in the Seanad on 14 November and passed through the final Stages there on 26 November. I look forward to hearing Deputies' contributions and I hope they will support this Bill. Officials from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport will be with me shortly and can provide any information anybody here might like.

This is a short, technical Bill. The Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025 has one important objective, namely, to increase the statutory limit on the cumulative capital outlay, commitments and liabilities that can be advanced by Screen Ireland, which was formerly known as the Irish Film Board. The limit will be increased from €500 million to €840 million. As is the case with some statutory bodies that receive public funding, a limit was set by statute on such outlays in the Irish Film Board Act 1980. This limit must be reviewed by the Houses of the Oireachtas every six to seven years. In this way, the Oireachtas can monitor cumulative capital funding to this statutory body each time the limit needs to be increased. Since the Irish Film Board Act 1980 was first enacted, the funding limit has been adjusted upwards on six occasions. It is now proposed to increase this limit to €840 million to allow Screen Ireland to continue to operate within an appropriate statutory limit. The proposal to increase the limit on advances is an enabling provision. Funding of Screen Ireland is, of course, subject to the normal Estimates procedures as set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The proposed legislation will not, therefore, mean any additional cost to the Exchequer as Screen Ireland’s annual allocation is set by the Oireachtas each year.

Section 2 cites this Bill as the Irish Film Board (Amendment Bill) 2025 and, together with the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2018, will be cited as the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2025.

Screen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish screen sectors including feature film, TV drama, animation, creative documentary and digital gaming. Screen Ireland operates within the framework of the Irish Film Board Acts 1980 to 2018. Its statutory remit is to assist, encourage and develop the screen sectors across the State. Screen Ireland supports these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. The allocation to Screen Ireland will be €42.96 million in 2026. This is an increase of €2.1 million, or 5.1%, on the amount allocated this year. The additional funding in 2026 will allow Screen Ireland to keep the indigenous production levels at a pace consistent with previous years. It will enable Screen Ireland to encourage more regional production in the Irish language, continue the talent academies and have an increased focus on digital games.

Screen Ireland is the creative partner to the screen sector, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. With a comprehensive range of practical funding supports across development, production, distribution, promotion and skills development, since 2018, Screen Ireland has assisted in the production of 115 feature film projects, 44 television dramas, 80 documentaries, 41 animation projects and 69 short films. Screen Ireland has also supported projects for distribution and has seen the development of over 1,100 projects in the period.

With the success of Irish screen productions, activity is increasing in the sector. This is made evident by the dramatic increase in applications for funding to Screen Ireland. In 2025 alone, Screen Ireland reported an overall 65% increase in the number of applications for its various funding streams when compared with 2024, which itself was a dynamic year. Screen Ireland-supported films won 78 national and international awards in the fields of film, TV and animation. Through Screen Ireland, Irish film has sustained a presence at A-list festivals, from the historic selection of “Kneecap” and “Small Things Like These” at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival to an unprecedented showing for Irish film at the Cannes Film Festival, which listed “The Apprentice”, “September Says”, “Kinds of Kindness”, “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” and “The Surfer”. The selection of a film to be shown at A-list film festivals, whether Cannes, Berlin, Venice or Sundance Toronto, is a huge honour, and only the world’s best productions are chosen. Screen Ireland continues to support emerging Irish talent through screenings, networking events and talent promotion initiatives at major festivals throughout the year.

Screen Ireland began funding TV drama in 2015, and since then, the output for TV drama production in Ireland has seen a remarkable increase, almost tripling in production spend. Deputies may be familiar with some of the fantastic Irish-based TV dramas made possible in recent years by Screen Ireland’s support. These include “Obituary”, “The Dry”, “Hidden Assets”, “The Young Offenders” and “The Walsh Sisters”. Feature films include “That They May Face the Rising Sun” and the Irish language film “Báite”. One to watch out for is “Saipan”, which is coming to our cinemas in January. It is about the events at the 2002 World Cup, and stars young Cork actor Éanna Hardwicke as Roy Keane, alongside Steve Coogan as Mick McCarthy. This is apt timing, with the World Cup draw taking place tomorrow in Washington DC. I really hope to see the Republic of Ireland take part. These are just a few of the many wonderful productions with which Screen Ireland has been involved.

Screen Ireland operates a dual approach to industry development. It is one that maintains a balance between indigenous productions and incoming internationally mobile projects. That creates a range of opportunities for Irish creatives to work in partnership with Irish or international studios. The success of this approach has resulted in a stronger and more sustainable environment for screen production. As our screen industries continue to grow, balance and partnership remain priorities, alongside an enhanced focus on sustainable production.

Screen Ireland is committed to the development of the indigenous audiovisual industry into the future, supported by the agency’s strategic plan 2025-2029, and working with all stakeholders and industry partners to collectively deliver on the Government’s ambition to establish Ireland as a global production hub. As an agency, Screen Ireland remains deeply committed to best practice and the principles of sustainability in all aspects of industry development, including environmental protection, green production, dignity in the workplace and nationwide development.

A skilled workforce in the screen sector is a crucial component for the development and maintenance of our screen industries. Screen Ireland has a skills and training division that is responsible for monitoring the needs of the screen sectors and ensuring that those needs are met at all levels. As part of its skills programme, for example, Screen Ireland has co-developed a bachelor of arts in screen industry practice, in conjunction with TU Dublin. The degree course is aimed at experienced professionals within the sector who do not have a level 8 qualification. There are currently 30 people enrolled in this course. Screen Ireland also supports initiatives across animation, digital games, TV, VFX and the unscripted and extended reality sectors, aimed at all levels, from new entrants to experienced professionals, as well as engagement with our next generation of young filmmakers in the 15- to 19-year-old age category.

A skilled workforce is achieved through partnership and collaboration, and building a stronger ecosystem supported by stakeholder organisations, Screen Ireland's national talent academies network and Irish production companies nationwide. The national talent academies network is a recent initiative of Screen Ireland and includes the national talent academy for film and television, led by Ardán in Galway, the national talent academy for animation, led by Animation Ireland, the national talent academy for VFX, led by Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet, and three regional crew academies in Galway, Limerick and Wicklow. This network has been established to develop a highly skilled, diverse talent and crew base throughout the country, offering a wide range of activities for the Irish screen industry, including courses, programmes and career opportunities. The overarching aim of the national talent academies is to address and support current educational skills gaps in the screen sector and support the next generation of creatives - filmmakers, producers, directors, screenwriters, animators, VFX artists, game developers and production crew. The approach that Screen Ireland has taken is the envy of many of our competitors.

Screen Ireland aims to support and promote Irish film, television and animation through fostering Irish artistic vision and our diverse creative and production talent, growing audiences and attracting filmmakers and investment into the country. Recent years have been significant in terms of Irish creative talent and the Irish screen industries for the commercial and critical plaudits of Irish film not only at home but also on the international stage. Our highly trained and skilled shooting and construction crews are crucial in making Ireland an attractive location for projects, with record-breaking productions like “Wednesday” locating here. The Irish screen industries are now in a strong position as a result of years of investment by the Irish Government.

Regional production taking place across Ireland brings cultural and economic benefits to the entire country. Crucially, this can also provide the opportunity to build cultural infrastructure in new geographic areas and to tell more diverse, cultural stories on our screens. Alongside its national talent academies network and support for film festivals in Cork, Galway, Dingle and beyond, Screen Ireland has committed to regional development by ring-fencing its funding in its annual budgets in recent years to provide targeted support. This year alone, its nationwide additional production fund has supported seven different productions to film in counties Sligo, Cork, Donegal, Louth and Kerry, while large-scale TV productions like “Wayfinders” set up their base in Troy Studios, Limerick. This is providing skills development programmes to local crew and new entrants based nearby. Over the next year, we will see a range of productions of all sizes being encouraged to film in regions around the country, including season two of the very successful Irish language series “Crá” in Donegal.

The need for continued Government investment is vital to build on these success stories. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We must seek out new opportunities to give our industry the help and opportunities it deserves. Screen Ireland supports the games sector with its innovation in storytelling development fund, in partnership with Animation Ireland. This initiative is now in its fifth year and has supported digital games prototypes to support existing series, new tech workflows and the exploration of a range of new storytelling formats.

More recently, Screen Ireland has launched several funding initiatives for digital games, including IndieDev, the first all-island initiative to support the development of games prototypes, as well as talent incubator schemes designed to encourage cultural, creative and commercial growth in the sector. The agency is also working jointly with IMIRT, the game developers' representative organisation, to develop a competency framework for the industry. This will support and further build a skills development pipeline that can sustain growth into the future. Ireland’s digital games sector has shown sustained momentum in recent years. Despite the real challenges posed by a very competitive global landscape, we are witnessing a growing ecosystem of studios, talented artists, supportive programmes and international investment.

The Minister, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, has indicated that he intends to bring forward further proposals to amend and update the Irish Film Board Acts next year. There is potential for growth in the Irish digital gaming sector. This is a sector in which Screen Ireland will be taking a greater role over the coming years.

In an increasingly competitive international environment, Screen Ireland will be able to continue to effectively discharge its vital role of promoting our indigenous film industry and marketing Ireland as a location for incoming internationally mobile productions.

Our cultural and artistic identity gives us a competitive advantage. The benefits of high levels of film and television production in Ireland include increased international investment in the economy, increased employment in this sector, positive spin-off effects for promoting the country as a tourist location and as an industrial location for all aspects of creative endeavours.

That is why I am really pleased to commend this Bill to the House.

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