Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he has had any correspondence or discussions with the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht regarding changing the legislation to fund the Film Bord from the funds dispersed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland under the sound and film funding scheme of the BAI; the nature of these discussions; if any decisions have been taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37233/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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As the Deputy may be aware, a steering committee was established in 2009 by the then Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht with the specific purpose of developing a series of recommendations aimed at stimulating the growth of Ireland's audiovisual industry over a five-year period. The results of the work of this committee are set out in the Creative Capital report which was published in July 2011.

Among the recommendations contained in this report is a proposal for the creation of a single funding agency for the audiovisual sector. In essence, this proposal envisages that all State funding related to audiovisual content production would be transferred to a revamped Irish Film Board. This would include the funding currently available to television and radio content producers under the Sound and Vision fund, which is part of the broadcasting fund currently administered by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

Since the publication of the report and on foot of a Government decision, a new interdepartmental committee was established by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and has been tasked with examining the feasibility of the various recommendations contained in the report. This committee comprises representatives of relevant Departments, including the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, as well as certain industry bodies.

The committee has met twice since it was established and it is my understanding that no formal discussion has yet taken place on the recommendation referred to by the Deputy. As the committee has yet to consider the feasibility of this particular recommendation, there have been no discussions or correspondence in respect of the question of any legislation that might be required in the event that this particular proposal was considered to be practical or feasible. I can confirm, however, that I have had correspondence with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in regard to the possible inclusion of a representative of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland on the committee and this has now been agreed.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Is it intended to use this report to substitute Exchequer funding given to the Irish Film Board with licence fee money? Would the Minister be concerned about the effects of any possible change, particularly in the community radio sector, the commercial broadcasters and also the likes of TG4, etc., if such a proposal was to cause a diminution of the funds available to the broadcasting media under the Sound and Vision fund?

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The short answer is that speaking personally, I would be concerned. As Chou En-lai said about the French Revolution, it is a bit too early yet to know. The recommendation to which the Deputy refers has not even yet been reached by the interdepartmental committee and it will consider it. I am happy that the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, has agreed to my request that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland would be represented on that committee.

There are obvious possibilities for Ireland in the creation of employment in the creative industries and in the broadest sense of the term, audiovisual. We have plenty of creative people and I would like to see that sector continue to develop. However, the Sound and Vision fund has a particular purpose and it is not my disposition at this stage anyway, to contemplate changing it.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I am reassured by the Minister's response. I ask him to confirm that a representative of his Department will be on the interdepartmental committee.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Yes, my Department is represented on the committee. The report merits the kind of study it is receiving. Various people working in this broader area have made the suggestion that Ireland has a certain competitive advantage which we should exploit in the sense of creating wealth and jobs and in terms of our international reputation. Having said what I said about the Sound and Vision fund, I do not wish to constrain those possibilities in any way. It seems to me that as the Deputy has said, the Sound and Vision fund at the moment has a purpose. It is a fund which is well used and those who have access to it at the moment would be of the view they could not really manage if they did not have access to the Sound and Vision fund.