The Irish government has boosted its support for the Irish film and TV industry in its 2024 budget, with film and TV productions able to claim a 32% tax break on eligible expenditure up to €125m, raised from €70m, per project.
It is expected to be in place in early 2024, once formally approved by government.
Screen Ireland, the national agency for the Irish screen industry, has welcomed the update to the Section 481 tax incentive, and also outlined plans to support new initiatives to facilitate production across the breadth of the country.
Projects substantially produced in the regions (outside Dublin/Wicklow and Cork City and County) were able to benefit from the Regional Uplift Scheme, that initially provided an increased level of tax credit of 5% in 2019 and 2020, and has seen a tapered withdrawal, down to 3% in 2022, 2% in 2023 and will be unavailable next year.
As the current regional uplift for film, TV and animation production outside of the central production hub tapers off, Screen Ireland is supporting fresh initiatives to facilitate additional production nationwide. Screen Ireland is aiming to launch a Creative Clusters programme for 2024, targeting emerging screen talent and communities across the country, with a pilot scheme proposed for County Cork.
Following consultation with stakeholders as part of the Counterculture Audiovisual Policy report, a further engagement process will define the broader remits of this scheme, with company development and leadership supports available to build creative screen ecosystems.
47% of the local Irish feature film and TV drama in Screen Ireland’s 2023 slate were produced or filmed on location in regional areas, including Donegal (Obituary season one), Limerick (Double Blind), Clare (Smother season 3), Galway and Mayo (BFI London Film Festival premiere That They May Face The Rising Sun), demonstrating the wide range of locations available outside of the Dublin/Wicklow areas.
Further features to film in Ireland in 2023 include Ishana Shyamalan’s debut The Watchers, which recently finished shooting in Wicklow and Galway. Sky Studios’ comedy drama Small Town, Big Story, directed by Chris O’Dowd, began shooting in late summer. Universal’s Cocaine Bear was also shot in Wicklow, in 2021, although set in Georgia in the US.
Susan Bergin, chair of the board of Screen Ireland, said: “In a landscape where global film and TV production budgets have reached an all-time high, the increase in the eligible expenditure cap will allow Ireland to attract a wider range of high-quality, larger scale production. It will also create opportunities in the growing area of VFX and post-production, whilst maintaining our well-regarded global reputation. This in turn will allow Ireland to build a depth of production crew, creating jobs and skills development opportunities throughout the creative screen industry, as well as driving increased cultural and economic opportunities for screen tourism.”
“2023 has been a landmark year for the Irish film industry, with an unprecedented number of Irish Academy Award nominations, including the historic best international feature film nomination for Irish-language film An Cailín Ciúin [The Quiet Girl],” added Désirée Finnegan, Screen Ireland chief executive. “The global impact of Irish culture and creative voices in feature film, and the recent thriving development of Irish TV Drama, has also demonstrated the worldwide reach and influence of Irish stories on screen.
“Our ambition for the future growth of the industry is to ensure local and international film, television, animation, documentary and VFX is produced in counties throughout Ireland, bringing the cultural and economic benefits of the industry to the entire country. The national development of the industry, beyond the existing production hubs, is a critical priority for Screen Ireland to ensure the sustainability of the industry into the future.”
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