Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update following the recent holding of a stakeholders forum for section 481; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36973/24]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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A Section 481 stakeholder forum was held in February of this year and attended by representatives from all parts of the Irish audiovisual industry.

The structure of the event incorporated a small number of presentations on elements of Section 481 requirements. The majority of the focus of the day, however, was firmly input from the stakeholders themselves and on ensuring that everyone attending from the industry was given ample opportunity to voice their opinions and discuss them with other industry stakeholders. A professional rapporteur conducted the event. A Report of all the views expressed at the Section 481 stakeholder forum has been finalised and it reflects the wide range of views expressed. The Report of the views expressed at the event has been circulated to all relevant Government Departments and State Agencies. The relevant Government bodies will examine the Report to consider if further changes can be made to the Section 481 Film Tax Relief Scheme.

Since the forum took place last February, the European Commission approved an increase in the Section 481 Cap to €125m and its extension to the end of 2028. This will provide certainty to our screen industry and open it up to projects of scale. Given the ongoing upward pressure on production budgets, the increased cap will lead to a thriving film industry, cementing its reputation worldwide for high quality work and a creative, talented workforce.