The 2009 budget for Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) has been announced by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism as €19.3 million for 2010 which represents a 5% cut from the 2009 budget allocation.
Following the recommendations in the Report of Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes (‘An Bord Snip Nua’) for the abolition of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) in August 2009, an examination of the importance of the Irish film and television sector was carried out. This process resulted in an affirmation of the economic importance of Ireland’s content production industries in the context of the emerging ‘Smart Economy’ in Ireland and the key role the IFB plays in developing this sector.
Commenting on the Government decision to continue the existence of the IFB, the Chairman, James Morris, said “I would like to acknowledge the role of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen in supporting the Irish Film Industry and the work of the Irish Film Board as the industry development agency. The support of the Government for Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board is a strong endorsement of the economic value of the film and television production sector to the emerging digital economy. It is also an acknowledgement of the cultural value of Irish artistic and creative work in building Ireland’s international profile that emerged as a major conclusion of the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh earlier this year.”
The Minister continued saying "Other key agencies like the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland will continue to develop and support their sectors. Their budgets have been maintained at 2007 levels with the Irish Film Board allocated €19.31m and Culture Ireland, €4.083m. The important tax relief scheme, Section 481, for investment in film and TV production is maintained until at least 2012, underpinning the Government’s commitment to the importance of our indigenous Irish film and audiovisual sector.”
With regards the Irish film and television industry, key points of the budget are the following:
• Funding to the Arts Council, the state agency for the arts is €69.15m, a 6% reduction on the 2009 figure of €73.35m.
• "Other key agencies like the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland will continue to develop and support their sectors. Their budgets have been maintained at 2007 levels with the Irish Film Board allocated €19.31m and Culture Ireland, €4.083m. The important tax relief scheme, Section 481, for investment in film and TV production is maintained until at least 2012, underpinning the Government's commitment to the importance of our indigenous Irish film and audiovisual sector."
• The artist tax exemption has been maintained with some adjustment only in respect of very high earners to reflect a more equitable apportionment of the tax burden.
Government funding, provided directly to the sector through the IFB is an important component of the audiovisual content industry. The 2010 budget for the IFB will ensure that the core work of the agency to support the development and production of indigenous film will be sustained at 2009 levels.
The continuation of Section 481, the Irish tax incentive for film and television, which has also been retained until the end of 2012, will keep intact Ireland's competitive edge as a location for international film production, generating economic activity that outweighs any incurred costs.
Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism commented on how the Budget will affect his department stating "At the Global Irish Economic Forum held in Farmleigh in September there was wide acknowledgement of the importance of culture in promoting Ireland abroad and developing a unique brand for the country in new markets. Most participants agreed that our unique and strong cultural identity provides the Government and the private sector with a strong competitive advantage abroad. Internationally, the creative economy is moving centre stage and creativity is seen as a crucial bedrock, underpinning our knowledge economy. I am pleased that significant funding to support the arts is secured for 2010. The overall allocation for the arts, culture and film area in 2010 is €166m as compared to €178m for 2009 - a 6% adjustment. Even in more stringent times, overall funding for the arts is up 14% on 2005 levels."
A recent survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers valued Ireland’s audiovisual content industry at over half a billion euro per annum and found that it now offers permanent employment to over 6,000 individuals. The industry in turn supports an ecology that generates many other indirect employment benefits arising out of production activities around the country.
To view 2010 Budget documents visit http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2010/2010.aspx
