Yesterday, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced that Screen Ireland’s capital budget will be €26.2 million for 2021, which represents a 52% increase on the 2020 amount. Therefore, the body’s full budget, inclusive of administrative costs, will rise to a total of €30.09 million.

In addition, the agency has welcomed the extension of the 5% Regional Uplift to 2023 and the development of a tax incentive for digital gaming from January 2022, which will both help to increase the sector’s productivity and open up new job opportunities.

(L'articolo continua qui sotto - Inf. pubblicitaria)

Speaking about the favourable governmental decision, Screen Ireland’s chair, Annie Doona, commented: “I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Minister Catherine Martin TD for her support during what has been such a challenging time for the Irish creative screen industries. As a result of the government’s continued and consistent support, the industry has managed to get film and television production activity back up and running safely, with financial supports in place to introduce strict health-and-safety protocols on set. The success of projects such as Normal People, Vivarium [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Lorcan Finnegan
scheda film] and Sea Fever [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] during the lockdown, and the extraordinary reaction to Wolfwalkers [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film] at the Toronto International Film Festival recently, demonstrates how culturally important the screen industries are to Ireland. Irish audiences have leaned on the arts in recent months to get them through some very difficult times.”

Yesterday’s announcement marks the highest funding award ever made to the national film agency. The government has recognised the challenges that the industry is facing in these difficult times, the success of the sector to date, and the cultural and economic benefits that the creative industries bring to Ireland. According to a 2017 Olsberg SPI report, the country’s audiovisual sector currently supports nearly 12,000 full-time job equivalents, with the creative screen industries generating a gross value added of €694 million to the economy.