Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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56. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of plans for the regional uplift element of section 481 relief; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24330/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Section 481 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides a 32% payable credit for eligible expenditure on film production in Ireland. It is available to Irish and international film production companies that are resident in the State or in a European Economic Area State and carry on business in the State through a branch or subsidiary.

In addition to extending the credit's end date from 2020 to 2024, Finance Bill 2018 provided for a short-term, tapered regional uplift, commencing at 5%, for productions being made in areas designated under the State aid regional guidelines. As the film tax relief is a State Aid, the regional uplift was announced subject to EU State aid approval.

The process of notifying the EU of the regional uplift is under way and is being dealt with by the Department of Finance. It is currently not possible to give a definitive timeline as to when this process will be completed.