Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his assessment of the current distribution of film industry infrastructure and funding across the State; if he will consider targeted supports or new initiatives to promote film-industry growth and infrastructure at regional level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64601/25]

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister outline his assessment of the current distribution of film industry infrastructure and funding across the State? Will he indicate whether he will consider targeted supports or new initiatives to promote film industry growth and production capacity at a regional level?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I had thought we were nearly finished but I thank the Deputy. A range of supports are provided for screen productions in Ireland, including regional productions. These are kept under ongoing review to ensure we remain an attractive location for inward investment and continue to develop our domestic industry. In 2024, Screen Ireland invested more than €6.5 million in productions, festivals, initiatives and activities that contributed to the nationwide development of the screen sector. This included €4 million awarded through the agency's nationwide additional production fund. Screen Ireland also provided funding supports for talent and skill development initiatives across the country, such as the agency's National Talent Academy network, which has key bases in Limerick and Galway.

In 2025, Screen Ireland ring-fenced funding of €5.5 million for nationwide development and Irish-language storytelling. Over 50% of live action feature film and TV drama in Screen Ireland's 2025 slate of productions is expected to be produced or filmed on location in regions outside of the traditional film-making hubs of Dublin and Wicklow. These regions include the counties of Donegal, Limerick, Galway, Monaghan and Sligo.

Ireland is home to several world-class film studios boasting state-of-the-art production and post-production facilities and various support infrastructures, which have helped to attract incoming productions from studios and content streaming companies, including unscripted productions.

Screen Ireland's National Talent Academy network includes: the National Talent Academy for Film and Television, which is led by Ardán in Galway; the National Talent Academy for Animation, which is led by Animation Ireland; the National Talent Academy for VFX, which is led by the Cultural and Creative Industries Skillnet; and three regional academies, which are currently managed by the Atlantic Academy in Galway, Film in Limerick, and the Clermont Enterprise Hub in Wicklow. The network has been established to develop a highly skilled and diverse talent and crew base throughout the country and offers a wide range of activities for the Irish screen industry, including courses, programmes and career opportunities.

Addressing innovation, skills development and sectoral growth, the national talent academies are the result of additional stimulus investment provided by the Department. They form part of a wider strategy to support skills development across all regions in the country. They also seek to address educational skills gaps in the screen sector and drive more Irish talent from all backgrounds into the Irish screen industry.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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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.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I support Deputy Butterly on this. The Minister might update us. We had a regional film uplift fund in the past but, as a result of issues relating to EU supports, that could not continue. He will certainly be aware that, when filming has to take place outside of Dublin and Wicklow, crews have to travel and there is a cost to that. He has outlined the success we have seen with filming right around the country. He will also be aware that there are plans to develop Tara Studios, just outside Gorey in north Wexford. He will also know about the success of Troy Studios in Limerick and the filming that has happened there. As Deputy Butterly said, there are many locations right around the country where regional film, television and animations uplift supports is critical.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We previously had a regional uplift under the section 481 scheme, which was very successful in encouraging film outside of the east coast or the Dublin-Wicklow region. That was interrupted by the Covid pandemic. Has that been looked at again? Has a Gaeltacht uplift been considered in light of the great films that have been created in those regions, where investment has paid off?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I thank all of the Deputies for raising this really important question. I have done a number of trade missions to north America with Screen Ireland and the film sector. It is my intention to do another one to Canada and the United States of America early in the spring because there is substantial potential here. That potential is driven by talent, infrastructure, our climate and the existing section 481 tax relief. Since I have become Minister, there have been increases to the scéal scheme uplift, which is for smaller productions. In addition, we are the first country within the European Union to introduce an uplift for unscripted productions. There have been some discussions with regard to a regional uplift. As Deputy Ó Snodaigh has rightly said, there was one previously but the Covid pandemic put the kibosh on it so we do not really have full data as to what it would have done. I want to revisit it. I have had initial discussions with the Department of Finance on the matter. It would obviously require changes to next year's tax Acts. My priority for this year was to get an increase in core funding for Screen Ireland, which I did, and to bed down the unscripted uplift, which we have done. Over the course of the year and in the run-up to the next budget, I will be looking at regional measures under section 481.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am going to make a ruling. To be fair to everyone, I am going to take people's questions in the order they came to the Chamber. There is only time left for three questions. I will call Deputies Malcolm Byrne, Brendan Smith and then Ruairí Ó Murchú.