13/12/2002

Last Wednesday, at a film industry gathering in Dublin for the launch of the Irish Film Board Review 2002, the Irish Arts Minister John O’Donoghue made a speech praising the work achieved by the Board and made reference to the popular tax incentive S481 mentioned in the recent Budget announcement: “The recent Budget had to made hard choices, and of course we all wish that it had been possible to give a more open ended commitment to the Section 481 Scheme. However, I am a pragmatist, and I hope a realist, and we must now make the very best of where we find ourselves. This means positioning the Irish Film Board as a main driver of our efforts to build a viable local film industry in Ireland, and I am confident that the Board will do this and do it well”.
The Minister O’Donoghue praised the work achieved by the IFB particularly in the animation sector, in launching a low-budget funding scheme to nurture new talent and the Company Development Initiative (CDI) providing slate funding to established production companies: “The Company Development Initiative which recognises maturity of companies but acknowledges their need for planned development takes a structured and organic approach to project development and it is an important part of the mix of measures developed by the Board” he said, concluding: “I look forward to the Film Board’s 10th anniversary next year which I know will see the consolidation of its past achievements”.