Streaming levy for Irish screen sector
Deputy Byrne argued for a levy on streaming services to support Irish film, TV and animation production. The Minister said the matter had gone to Cabinet and any levy would be at ministerial discretion after careful consideration.
Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for welcoming my friends from Tara Hill national school.
We are all rightly proud of the very innovative and dynamic film, television and animation production sector here in Ireland. There was cross-party support in the previous Oireachtas, under the audiovisual media services directive, for the creation of a levy on streaming services to support the telling of Irish stories. We read this morning that the UK cross-party committee on culture, media and sport is calling for the introduction of a 5% levy on streamers to support film and TV production in the UK, joining 17 other European countries that have done this to ensure that stories get told. We see today that the Minister for the arts and media has announced that there will be a content production levy, subject to ministerial approval. I ask the Minister to outline the criteria under which the Minister for the arts and media will make the decision, if he will publish the report from Coimisiún na Meán and any evidence, and if we could have statements in this House on the future of the sector.
Comment on this
I welcome the students from Tara Hill to the Dáil.
I absolutely agree with the Deputy on the need to support our own sector here at home. I have a brother who is very much involved in it, and the work they do and the content they produce is phenomenal.
As regards the details, this was brought to Cabinet just this week, and the Minister was clear that while there will be a directive in the legislation allowing a Minister to impose these levies, it will be at the discretion of the Minister. We need to think carefully as well about imposing an additional levy on top of a charge or a fee that people are already paying. While we need to support our own industry at home, we also need to make sure we are not imposing an undue levy or cost on people at home who are enjoying the various streaming services. Maybe I will ask the Minister to engage with the Deputy directly on some of the further detail of this.