Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

63. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the manner in which she plans to respond to the report by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on working conditions in the Irish film industry, which was published in July 2018, in particular the issues (details supplied) in the report raised by workers in the industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39896/18]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Josepha Madigan, said that section 481 film industry tax relief is key to underpinning a film industry. Yesterday morning, I was with film workers outside Ardmore Studios where they were protesting. They say there is no industry. There is an awful lot of money going into the hands of ten or 12 companies who employ next to nobody. The workers who worked on production after production for those same companies for ten, 15 or 20 years have been disowned by the companies and have no security of employment. This is precarious employment and a denial of rights. These workers have asked to meet the Minister but she has refused a meeting. They say they are now being blacklisted because they are insisting on the quality of employment that was promised under the legislation, which was supposed to be attached to section 481 tax relief. How will the Minister respond to them?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As I stated in an earlier reply, I thank the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for the work undertaken to produce the report, which was published last July, just a few weeks after the Government launched its audiovisual action plan. The committee's report and the audiovisual action plan have significant overlap and share the objectives of developing the Irish audiovisual industry and improving employment within it, which goes to the heart of the Deputy's question.

A steering group has been established to implement the audiovisual action plan and has already met twice since the action plan was published. The group includes representatives of all Departments and State agencies that have an interest or involvement in the audiovisual industry.

The report of the joint committee was discussed at the recent meeting of the steering group on 27 September. This included discussions regarding the importance of section 481, compliance of the industry with aspects of tax and employment law, and the holding of specific conferences and workshops to consider the development of the industry, including the need for an appropriate forum to consider employment issues. Further work is being carried out on all these initiatives and announcements in regard to them will be made in due course. The steering group will report to me at regular intervals.

On the specific details supplied by the Deputy, it is important to note that employees in every industry and sector are entitled to all existing legal protections. I draw attention to legislation being brought forward by my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 will improve the security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours. This legislation responds specifically to the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government to address the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work. I am happy to report that the Bill completed Report and Final Stages in the Dáil on 12 July 2018 and it is anticipated that it will be introduced in the Seanad this autumn.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

When is the film industry forum as recommended going to happen to bring all stakeholders into a room to sort out the problems? We need to consider matters such as Mel Gibson suing a company that has produced a film, stating that the producers benefiting from section 481 tax relief are defrauding that tax relief by artificially inflating costs and expenses and milking the taxpayer. That is a very serious matter.

Business cannot continue as usual when there are workers outside Ardmore Studios who say, and I have seen evidence to back this up, they are being blacklisted, even though they have worked for many years for these production companies which are getting €80 million a year from these loans, grants and section 481 tax relief which are intended to give employment. The GMB and the Irish Film Workers Association, IFWA, has asked to meet the Minister. Will she meet them to hear what they have to say?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Screen Training Ireland is a division of Screen Ireland and is the national training and development resource specifically created for Ireland's film and television industry. It delivers training programmes for the film industry and approximately 500 participants take part in the training every year. I am committed to ensuring that any requirements related to training deliver good quality outcomes for trainees in return for generous tax credits provided by the Government. I am not going to comment on Mel Gibson's issue. That is a matter for him.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is a very serious issue.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It may well be, but I am not in a position to comment on it. The Department will address the issue of training by working closely with Screen Ireland and having regard to the recommendations of the Crowe Horwath report. Over the past two years there have been sporadic industrial relations incidents made manifest through protests by film workers outside film sets and various Oireachtas offices. Screen Ireland is addressing that and I hope that a forum will develop from that in which all the stakeholders can be involved and through which they can come to an amicable resolution.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am asking the Minister to meet these workers. She is obviously meeting Screen Ireland. Will she meet these workers, who have asked to meet her, to hear their side of the story? It is a direct question and I wish she would answer it. Unless she gets all the stakeholders involved in this discussion, she is not being serious about trying to address the problems.

The Mel Gibson action is very serious. That could shred our international reputation, never mind the fact that serious sums of public money are involved. That needs to be investigated as a matter of urgency. Whatever about the individual case, we need to establish whether there are loopholes that can be exploited and are being exploited. Something needs to be done about the fact that we are putting €80 million into an industry and there is no standing workforce. A child could take €80 million and employ a few hundred people or 1,000 people for a year, but there is no standing workforce. It is, so to speak, a hire 'em and fire 'em workforce. If anyone dares say a word about their rights, compliance with EU directives or the working time directive, and if he or she does not sign up to certain agreements that are imposed on him or her, that person is blacklisted. That cannot go on.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Between 2011 and 2013, Screen Ireland regularly organised meetings, called consultation committee meetings, which included stakeholders in the film industry. They were convened in the context of a production downturn, and attendees included trade unions and Screen Producers Ireland and, in some instances, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and RTE. These meetings referred to an industry forum. They ceased when production activity picked up.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht met five organisations in January and February of this year. These organisations included Screen Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, SIPTU, the IFWA and the GMB union. SIPTU disputed in writing some of the evidence given to the committee by GMB and the IFWA. It is clear that there is an inter-union rivalry on some issues. Nonetheless there are good reasons for holding an industry forum, as called for in the July report on developments and working conditions in the Irish film industry as published. There is validity in that. There is a willingness to put this in place and the Department has been in discussions with Screen Ireland in this regard. Consideration has been given to the most appropriate mechanism to convene a forum and a possible role for an independent chair. The matter will be discussed at a meeting planned with Screen Ireland on 27 October.