The government plans to invest €200m in the audiovisual and animation sector over the next ten years and believes this can double the numbers employed in the business.

The Department of Culture says the ten-year plan will support the government’s ambition to enable Ireland to become a global hub for the production of film, TV drama and animation.

The move follows an economic assessment of the sector by consultants Olsberg SPI and Nordicity which identified strategic recommendations which would assist the future development and growth of the audiovisual sector.

Its key recommendations include:

• Consider extending Section 481 tax relief and increasing the expenditure ceiling, revising the regulations and extending the relief to Ireland’s games sector
• A review by Screen Ireland of funding models at other countries’ film agencies
• Increased capital funding for the film sector, including coproduction and development funding, a specific fund for the development of films and TV drama, a fund for new Irish TV drama, a regional production fund and additional training of film workers and crew
• Increased business skills development, matching skills to production growth and partnering with third-level institutions in skills development
• Increased marketing measures including measures to attract major games studios to Ireland
• A steering group to prioritise measures, oversee implementation and monitor risks, reporting regularly to the minister.

The consultants concluded that their policy recommendations could lead to Ireland’s film, television and animation sector doubling 2010 employment levels to more than 24,000 full-time equivalents and a gross value added of nearly €1.4 billion, all within five years.

In Association with

Minister Josepha Madigan said: "Ireland has the creative talent, the storytelling and literary history, international credibility, geographic location and incentive structures to be a global leader, to tell compelling Irish and universal stories on screen, and to grow and sustain a vibrant creative audiovisual sector.”

• Download the Audiovisual Action Plan and the Olsberg Report here.

Photo (l-r): Screen Ireland CEO James Hickey, ministers Josepha Madigan and Heather Humphreys, and SPI chair John Gormley. (Pic: Colm Mahady / Fennell Photography)