Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)

Like other Members, I fully support this Bill. It is a short amendment but a very important one. I will focus specifically on the animation sector because the vast majority of the Irish animation sector is based in my home town of Kilkenny. I look at the success of Cartoon Saloon, a company that started from very modest beginnings in The Maltings, an old malting house of Smithwick's brewery, about 20 years ago. It was founded by Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey and Paul Young and a number of other very innovative and creative people who came out of Young Irish Film Makers, which again does wonderful work. We talk about supporting young people in that sector as well. Young Irish Film Makers, founded by Mike Kelly, was the hub of a lot of creativity that emanated from Kilkenny, not just from animation but in the film sector and in production as well.

From its founding in those early days, Cartoon Saloon's productions have included its first feature-length film, "The Secret of Kells", and later the "Song of the Sea", "The Breadwinner" and "Wolfwalkers". Three Oscar-nominated films coming from one studio is testament to the success of a very small studio that is now employing, in full production, up to 350 people, along with a sister studio, Lighthouse Studios, that has opened in recent years. In Kilkenny alone, there are over 700 people employed in full production. Lighthouse Studios also has household titles to its name, including "The Bob's Burgers Movie", "Rick and Morty", "Little Ellen" and "The Cuphead Show". People will be interested to know that "Rick and Morty" is produced in Kilkenny. I highlight what these productions have done for Kilkenny and in Kilkenny.

A number of Senators have spoken about the regional uplift but, as it pertains to the animation sector, the whole issue of ongoing professional development and training needs to be consideration as well. Out of those two very successful studios has come the Kilkenny Animated festival and there is a lot of new talent coming through the stream. That idea and notion of supporting this through the South East Technological University, SETU, campuses, both in Carlow and Waterford, and creating an animation hub in the south-east region is something I have spoken to Paul Young, Nora Twomey and Tomm Moore about. The idea would be that Kilkenny and the south-east region could become a national animation hub where there is ongoing professional development and training and a clear pathway for youth animators to come into the sector.

I wanted to speak to that and the real economic benefit that both Cartoon Saloon and Lighthouse Studios have brought to Kilkenny. They could have moved up to Dublin where the action is years ago, when things were not great and they were struggling. They had trouble in the building they were in with broadband and all of those issues, but they wanted to stay in the heart of Kilkenny city. That is a great testament to what they have done.

Looking at other municipalities across Europe, local authorities develop short-term accommodation for people coming into creative sectors, be they in theatre, film or animation. We are looking at the repurposing of buildings and the Government providing funding through THRIVE and other initiatives. There is an opportunity there for local authorities to look at short-stay accommodation for people coming in to work in the creative sector for short periods of time. We should give consideration to that.

In the final minute I have, I will speak to a beautiful film that is currently showing in the Irish Film Institute. Called "Born That Way", it was made by Éamon Little, with the support of the Irish Film Board, and is about the life of the late Patrick Lydon. Patrick was a groundbreaking person who worked for social inclusion and environmental sustainability through Camphill Communities in Ballytobin and Callan in County Kilkenny. I hope people get a chance to see it. It will probably be screened on television at some point. It is a really wonderful film. Again, it is testament to the creative talent of the sector in Ireland. Lots of productions have been mentioned in this debate. There is something unique in Ireland and this Bill gives credence and tangible support to a sector that is continuing to grow and develop professionally, but also continuing to excel on the world stage.