The Irish government has today (April 10) amended legislation to make a proposed content production levy on US streamers including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV or Disney+ contingent on ministerial approval.
Ireland’s media regulator Coimisiún na Meán was allowed to introduce draft legislation for a levy on broadcasters and video-on-demand providers in order to fund a scheme to promote Irish productions under the country’s Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022.
However, Patrick O’Donovan, Ireland’s minister for arts, media, communications, culture and sport, has said he has “no intention” of allowing a levy “until such a time as I am satisfied that such a levy will not impose an undue burden”.
Major productions to shoot in Ireland for US streamers include Bad Sisters for Apple TV+ and Wednesday for Netflix.
Ireland’s pull-back from a streaming levy comes as a committee of UK members of parliament published its recommendations today to the UK government, calling for a 5% streamer levy, as part of the results of its inquiry into British film and high-end TV.
France, Portugal, Croatia, Germany, Romania, Poland, Denmark and Czech Republic have all introduced streamer levies.
Ireland’s revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill also includes changes to the bill aimed at enhancing value-for-money and transparency in Ireland’s public broadcasters RTÉ and TG4.
RTÉ will be required by law to spend at least 25% of its public funding on content commissioned from the independent production sector, with Coimisiún na Meán allowed to increase this percentage with ministerial agreement.
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