Dáil debates

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

10:15 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have one or two brief comments in response to what the Minister had to say. I welcome the fact that we will, hopefully within the next year, be dealing with a Bill that will cover gaming. The Minister should read the article in The Currency today about The Digital Hub, where many gaming companies had set up. Strangely, the agency is spending a lot of money on derelict sites even though it does not even control them any more. That is a separate issue from that of section 481.

Ultimately, because of the nature of these arrangements, the Department of Finance has to get some information from the likes of the Minister present and the Minister for tourism and industry. Several bodies need to feed in, so the Minister for Finance has never taken decisions on the film industry alone. It is the same within my party. I cannot just say we should have a lot of money spent on the film industry. Our finance representative, Deputy Pearse Doherty, would throw a wobbler if I started spending money in the way some have suggested. There is no magic money tree for the film industry. Section 481 is one aspect of this. I understand what the Minister is saying but at the end of the day the position is as described.

An organisation that deserves the Minister's help at the moment is The Complex. I ask him to meet the Minister for Finance as quickly as possible to address the funding needs of this arts complex in the heart of the north inner city. It is not even in my constituency. It does not represent-----

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.