Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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32. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if producer companies in receipt of public funds and support will be required to offer training and employment to employees and trainees who were previously employed by the companies to ensure the provision of quality training and employment opportunities on all publicly funded or supported film productions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8677/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Screen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish film making and the Irish film, television and animation industry.  Its statutory remit is to assist and encourage the making of film in the State and the development of a film industry in Ireland.  Screen Ireland supports writers, directors and production companies across these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. Screen Ireland has a vision for a vibrant, creative and sustainable Irish film, television and animation industry, with diverse voices, talent and opportunities which speaks to and connects Irish film culture with audiences at home and abroad.

In Budget 2019, I was able to allocate an additional €2 million to Screen Ireland to build on its vital work in supporting Irish film, television drama, documentary and animation.  This increases its annual budget by 11% overall to €20 million.

Screen Ireland’s role as a development agency for Irish creative talent means that it can focus is on the creative skills of the writers, directors, and creative producers as well as the Heads of Departments working on the production including Actors, Directors of Photography, Set and Costume Designers, Sound Recordists, Editors and Composers.   Screen Ireland provides, through Screen Skills Ireland, training and skills development courses and programmes for the development of skills and is increasing its efforts in relation to training technical personnel working on films.

Screen Ireland conditions include, inter alia,  full compliance with all statutory and legal and contractual obligations of the producers in connection with the production of the film which includes all the obligations of employers to employees.

In addition, I understand that Screen Ireland is considering further conditions of funding in areas such as gender equality, diversity and inclusion, dignity in the workplace, skills development and upskilling and environmental awareness.