Budget 2026: Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland Welcomes Continued Support for Screen Industry as Budget Increased to €42.96 million
Posted: 7th October 2025
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, the national agency for Ireland’s screen industry, would like to extend thanks to Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., for his support and recognition of the Irish screen industry in today’s Budget 2026 press conference. Today, the Minister announced an increase of €2.1 million to Screen Ireland’s total budget for 2026. This brings total funding levels for the agency to €42.96 million – a 5.1% increase from 2025.
The Minister also confirmed the long-term establishment of the Basic Income for the Arts scheme, which supported a number of filmmakers during its successful three-year pilot programme.
Earlier today, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe T.D. announced an enhancement to the Section 481 Film Tax Credit, to provide for a new 40 per cent rate of relief for eligible VFX production, alongside an extension and updates to the existing digital games tax incentive.
Désirée Finnegan, Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, welcomed today’s funding allocation, saying:
“On behalf of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, I would like to thank Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan T.D. for his support and commitment to the Irish creative screen industry in Budget 2026. Screen Ireland is proud to fulfil its remit in supporting Irish culture on screen – this increased funding allows us to provide additional investment in Irish feature film, creative co-production and high-end TV drama, in addition to expanding our support for VFX and the digital games sector in Ireland.”
Ray Harman, Chair of the Board of Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, added:
“Screen Ireland is hugely grateful to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan T.D. for his continued support for the Irish screen industry. Along with the earlier announced uplift for VFX and improvements to the digital games tax incentive, we're looking forward to working closely with the Irish industry, our global partners, and the Irish Government to build a creative future that positions Ireland at the centre of screen production worldwide.”
Recent research shows that the Irish screen industry contributes over €1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Irish economy, and supports a total of 15,899 full-time equivalent jobs (FTEs). The sector has experienced remarkable success in recent years, from 2021’s record-breaking year for production to the transformation of Irish language cinema and resulting global acclaim for Irish film and Irish talent, both on screen and behind the camera.