Companies in Ireland's film and television sector, including RTÉ and TG4, have called on the government to urgently introduce a levy on pay-for-TV and streaming services that it believe would deliver €100m in indigenous production activity annually.
The joint audio visual sectoral group, which is also composed of Screen Producers Ireland, Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, Writers Guild of Ireland, Screen Composers Guild of Ireland and Animation Ireland, said a 3% levy would raise some €25m per year.
The level would be similar to those imposed in other European countries, and members of the industry heard their European counterparts speak about the benefits of the levy on pay TV and subscription video on demand (SVOD) on local film and television productions in their country.
Attendees of the 'What can the Content Levy do for local film and TV production' webinars heard that Irish audiences pay €600m to pay TV and streaming companies such as Netflix.
The group said Ireland is an outlier in terms of so far declining to introduce the levy, unlike France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, and at risk of being left behind.
In Association with
The Oireachtas is currently debating the Online Safety & Media Regulation Bill, which would facilitate such a levy.
"Ireland has a unique opportunity with the Bill currently before the Seanad, to introduce a levy on pay TV and SVOD services targeting Irish audiences to fund Irish stories on screen, like Normal People and Conversations with Friends," said James Hickey, Screen Producers Ireland board member and former Screen Ireland CEO.
"With a 3% levy, there would be an annual fund of at least €25m a year. Indecon reported that this would deliver €100m of production activity annually. That could be at least five TV drama series and five TV animation series a year as well as more feature films and documentary series."
In its report on the Online Safety & Media Regulation Bill last November, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media recommended that provisions be made for the collection, targeting and value of a content levy.
The government has since brought the bill forward with such provisions, and upon publication the group proposed specific amendments, including the immediate introduction of a 3% levy on 1 January.
Culture minister Catherine Martin has not taken its amendments on board, and the industry continues to campaign for the levy.
"Ireland is producing some exceptional creative talent, achieving international recognition in audio-visual storying telling in the form of composers, directors, writers and producers," said Sarah Gelnnane, CEO of the Screen Composers Guild of Ireland.
"With the investment delivered from a content levy these creators can bring their success to Irish produced stories made for global audiences, return lucrative creative IP and royalties to our screen industries and help to provide opportunities for the next generation of creators to be able to stay and grow sustainable careers from Ireland.
"There is a strong culture of entrepreneurship in our screen creators, they want to be able to bring their talent to productions which are produced in Ireland by Irish companies."
An estimated €500m was spent on film and television production in Ireland last year, an increase of 40% on previous record total set in 2019, according to figures from Screen Ireland.
Photo: Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People. (Pic: RTÉ)
