Creativity at the core of public policy
In 2018 the government launched the Audiovisual Action Plan, a €200m funding programme as part of the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht’s capital investment plan Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018—2027. The plan commits to additional capital funding in the sector, focusing primarily on film production, high-end television drama and animation. The plan is based on an ambition for Ireland to become a global centre of excellence, a leader in this area in line with the emphasis in the Global Ireland strategic initiative on the promotion of Irish culture.
The Audiovisual Action Plan was published under Pillar 4 of the Creative Ireland Programme. The Action Plan addresses the recommendations of a key report, an Economic Analysis of the Audiovisual Sector in the Republic of Ireland (SPI Olsberg) which was published in December 2017 to measure the current economic value of the Irish industry, and to propose policy changes to support its future growth.
In September 2020, Minister Catherine Martin T.D. established the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce. The Covid-19 pandemic policy response in relation to the creative sectors is set out in Life Worth Living: the Report of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce, published in October 2020. Screen Ireland was part of this taskforce which recognised the impact of Covid-19 on all arts and culture including the screen sector, in terms of the cessation of activity and the additional costs and challenges of providing safe working environments as activity has resumed.
A key recommendation in the report is that the Audiovisual Media Service Directive should be transposed into Irish law immediately, because of its importance to the audiovisual and creative screen sectors. This, according to the taskforce, “presents a significant opportunity for Ireland … implementing these provisions without delay will create new funding streams for the creation of original Irish content at a time when the global market for content is growing rapidly”. The report also calls for the transposition of the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, to benefit the protection and exploitation of intellectual property derived through creative screen production in Ireland.
In September 2020, The Future of Media Commission was set up by the government to examine the future of media in Ireland. The commission is examining the challenges faced by public-service broadcasters, commercial broadcasters, print and online media platforms. Challenges these organisations face include sustainable funding sources, changes in audience behaviour and changes in technology. Screen Ireland strongly supports the role of Irish public-service media in promoting cultural diversity and Irish storytelling on screen that is accessible to audiences across Ireland. We believe that independent, well-resourced and balanced public-service media is fundamental to a democratic society.
The full impact of Brexit on the creative screen industry in Ireland still remains uncertain. This brings challenges and opportunities for the sector here, although many of the concerns of the industry have been addressed through the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU, and the continued participation of the UK in the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production, supporting future co-productions between the UK and Ireland.
Current government policy on education and skills, particularly in relation to the National Training Fund, is focused on industry-relevant skills development, especially work-based learning through apprenticeships and traineeships, and the importance of lifelong learning and digital skills. This will lead to more opportunities for the certification of continuous professional development and the accreditation of work-based learning for the screen industry to support access routes into the sector. Progression opportunities will also be built around defined career pathways that will in turn support a more open, inclusive and structured sector in the future.
