Some of Ireland's most famous film and TV stars today appealed to Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy not to abolish the tax reliefs that have seen the industry flourish here.
Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Victoria Smurfit, Alison Doody, Patrick Bergin, Don Wycherley and David Wilmot were in Dublin to support the Screen Producers Ireland (SPI) campaign to retain the so-called Section 481 relief, which the Government intends to abolish.
|
|
Stephen Rea, Victoria Smurfit and Aidan Quinn
|
They were representing the Irish Actors' Equity Group, which has launched a petition in support of the campaign.
Aidan Quinn, star of the films Song for a Raggy Boy, This is my Father, Michael Collinsand Legends of the Fall, said he found the idea of scrapping the tax reliefs "astonishing".
He said films such as Song for a Raggy Boyand This is my Fatherhad benefited from Section 481.
"I don't think any of them would have been made without it. It made an enormous difference."
Quinn, who also produces films, said producers saw Ireland as a great location with "fantastic crews and an incredible landscape, albeit a bit expensive".
|
He said there was already competition from other countries to attract the film industry. While he said he wasn't sure about some of the "direst predictions" of complete collapse of the industry without tax reliefs, the actor said it would be stripped to "the bare bones".
"Are we going to go back to a time when every Irish actor has to leave because there's no work here?"
Victoria Smurfit, who starred in the popular BBC drama Ballykissangel, filmed in Avoca, Co Wicklow, as well as the films The Beachand About a Boysaid the campaign was "extremely important".
"Because without us all, the producers, directors and actors banding together and trying to make some noise about this, we will end up with no industry," she said.
The Irish actor said she would love to have a cup of coffee with Mr McCreevy and to ask him to explain to her why he wanted to abolish the tax reliefs.
The actor said she did not believe the Irish film industry could stand on its own. "Not when every other country has created the same tax breaks...you leave yourself the poor relation."
Mr Tristan Orpen Lynch, spokesman for the SPI, said it made no economic sense for the tax incentive to end, "given that it provides a three-to-one return to the exchequer and, if removed, Ireland will be the only EU country without one".
He said it was an important element in developing the indigenous film and television drama industry and in providing employment for Irish acting talents.
"The number and calibre of Irish actors working today is staggering and is testament not only to their talent but also to the number of opportunities that have become available to them to work on quality Irish feature films and TV drama productions in the past 10 years.
"These opportunities have come about as a direct result of the Section 481 tax incentive, and there is a very real potential for the industry to grow even further in the next 10 years, to the extent that total employment numbers could rise from the current number of 4,500 people to 11,000 people by 2010, including a large number of actors.
"The end of Section 481, however, would mean that many of our actors would be forced to look for work elsewhere. Instead of exporting our acting talent, the Government should be ensuring that Ireland's actors have a future here by safeguarding our indigenous industry."