The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has clarified the nature of their €200 million investment promised to the Irish Film Board today as part of their Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027, a ten year plan setting out the Irish Government’s commitment for capital investment of almost €1.2 billion in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage.
The €200m investment in the audio visual Industry relates to capital investment through the Irish Film Board. This will bring Film Board capital investment to an average of €20m per annum over the period of the plan which is the level sought by the Film Board. The actual annual yearly allocations will be determined through the normal budgetary process.
Investment priorities will be a matter for the Film Board in the first instance but it should be noted that Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage specifically refers to investment in training for film workers and crews.
The Department also proposes to publish shortly a plan for the audio visual industry based on an economic analysis commissioned by the Department in relation to the industry. It should be noted, as set out in the plan, that all proposals for capital expenditure measures will be subject to evaluation and appraisal in accordance with the provisions of the Capital Spending Code.
The Arts Council receives current funding from the Department (not capital funding) and is not therefore under consideration as part of the Capital Plan published today. The Arts Council received €68m in funding from the Department’s Current budget this year.
The Irish Film Board called the promise “a confirmation of a significant increase in relation to our capital funding (€14.2m in 2018) over a ten year period 2018 to 2027. It may not initially be €20m a year and to the extent not, will be more than €20m as the years go on so that the total is €200m over the ten years.”