Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the amount of the €17 million given to the Irish Film Board in 2006 by his Department that the board has received back from profitable films. [19985/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Film Board (IFB) is a statutorily independent agency established under the Irish Film Board Act, 1980. Accordingly, matters regarding the allocation of an investment, loan or grant that the IFB makes is a matter for the Board of the IFB. The role of the Board is to provide development and production finance for Irish film projects (feature, documentary, animation) and to promote Ireland abroad as a film location. The Board was allocated a total budget of €19.6m to carry out these functions in 2007 and €17.126m. in 2006. This funding enabled it to provide production and development support to 290 projects in 2006. The equivalent of 1,058 full time jobs were created in the Irish film industry in 2006, with expenditure in the Irish film sector rising in 2006 to €238m. from €152m. in 2005.

Irish Film Board projects continue to achieve success and international recognition, being the recipients of some major awards — in 2006 "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and "Six Shooter" won the Academy Award for Best Short Film. In 2007 "Garage" won a prestigious category at the Cannes Film Festival and "Once" won an award at the Sundance Film Festival and has since obtained a US distribution deal. IFB short film Blind Man's Eye was selected for Venice Film Festival, and The Tudors Series 1 (television series), which was shot in Ireland during 2006, received Emmy awards in Costumes and Music.

The Board continues to support emerging talent as well as established practitioners in the Irish film sector and, via its office in Los Angeles, which opened in 2006, to encourage inward productions.