Conflict of Interest Policy and Procedures

The Board of Fís Eíreann/Screen Ireland is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance. There are robust policies and procedures in place to prevent and mitigate against any potential conflicts of interest that might arise during the course of the Board’s work. These policies are rigidly adhered to at all times.

Board Members of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland are appointed by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport following a recruitment and selection process managed by the Public Appointments Service. We welcome the Minister’s decision to appoint individuals that bring a diverse mix of industry expertise, academic, corporate and creative experience and insight to the Board.

To ensure full transparency, details are provided of any funding decisions that involve a Board member’s organization or an organization where they have an association. These are published within the Annual Report.

The process to apply for Screen Ireland funding is rigorous and a wide range of information is required from applicants before a funding loan is approved. Successful projects in receipt of Screen Ireland funding adhere to the funding principles and criteria outlined in the published guidelines.

Conflict of Interest Procedures

Additionally, the Board has robust conflict of interest procedures in place which are detailed in Screen Ireland’s code of conduct, but in summary:

1. Declaration of conflicts of interest are an agenda item at each Board Meeting.
2. A register of all Board Members’ interests is maintained by the Board Secretary. This register is updated regularly for any new conflicts which may arise subsequent to appointment.
3. In cases of potential conflict of interest, Board Members do not receive any documentation or otherwise participate or attend deliberations regarding these transactions.
4. A schedule of transactions in which a Board Member had an interest are disclosed in Screen Ireland’s annual report to ensure transparency.
5. Each Board Member completes an annual Statement of Interest for return to the Standards in Public Office Commission detailing any relevant interests in accordance with the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001.
6. All Board Members have received corporate governance training from an independent provider as part of their induction process and conflicts of interest are an important element of this training.
7. All funding awards are a matter of public record and are published on the Screen Ireland website in addition to the annual report.