James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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194. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available for independent film makers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16560/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Film Board has primary responsibility for the support and promotion of film-making in Ireland, in respect of both the indigenous sector and inward productions. Its aim is to help filmmakers to make Irish films, and provide production and development loans for features, television programmes, animation projects, documentaries and short films. The Film Board also helps to promote individual films, the Irish film industry as a whole, and Ireland as a film location. My Department has allocated €14.471 million to the Film Board in 2016. Film making in Ireland is also supported by the Section 481 film tax credit system, which incentivises investment in film making in Ireland. This incentive was enhanced in Budget 2016 when the cap for eligible expenditure on film projects was increased from €50 million to €70 million.

It should also be noted that the Programme for a Partnership Governmentcontains a very important commitment to progressively increase funding for the arts over the lifetime of the Programme, with specific reference to the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board. I can assure the Deputy that I will be engaging with my colleagues in Government and with the Oireachtas to seek to advance this commitment in the context of the forthcoming estimates and budgetary processes.