Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his plans to promote the film industry here in the next two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41837/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions is a matter for the Irish Film Board (IFB). This agency is funded through my Department and is independent of the Department in its operations. For 2009 a budget of €20.416m has been provided for the IFB in the Estimates for my Department.

The task of attracting international production into Ireland is dependent on a number of elements, not all of which fall within the sphere of influence of my Department or that of the Irish Film Board. Decisions to site a film project in a particular territory involve complex funding, cultural, logistical and project-specific elements, all of which are crucial for a successful result.

My Department's primary operational role in supporting the film sector relates to the administration of elements of the Section 481 tax relief scheme. This scheme is kept under regular review in conjunction with the Irish Film Board and any enhancements necessary to retain or regain competitiveness are addressed and brought to the attention of the Minister for Finance as appropriate. The scheme was amended and enhanced in the Finance Acts of 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and most recently this year when the Minister for Finance, in his Budget 2008 speech, announced that he was extending the scheme for a further four years until the end of 2012, following a review of the scheme by Indecon International Economic Consultants. This extension of the scheme was welcome and also the proposal in the Finance Bill to increase the overall ceiling on qualifying expenditure from €35m to €50m.

An area that I considered needed examination was in relation to measuring and capturing the full scale, value and potential for growth of the audio-visual production sector in Ireland. In that regard I am pleased that the Irish Film Board has commissioned a major independent survey of the audio-visual production sector in Ireland. The survey should provide a complete and accurate description of the character, scale and value of the entire industry as it currently exists and provide an objective starting point from which to chart a plan for the future and act as a benchmark from which to accurately measure progress. The survey was recently completed and I look forward to receiving a copy of it from the Irish Film Board in due course.

Another important element of a successful film industry is the availability of adequate, fully equipped studio resources that can cater for the needs of indigenous and incoming film/TV productions and this is a key factor in the Irish Film Board's role of marketing Ireland as a film location. The studios at Ardmore play an integral part in fulfilling this role and following recent discussions that have taken place with representatives of all interested parties, I can confirm that the current arrangements between the Irish Film Board and Ardmore Studios are to continue.

I believe that the industry in Ireland has never been stronger in terms of international recognition and commercial success. This is evidenced by the Oscar success this year for the film "Once" and both the critical and financial successes of numerous films in recent times.