The indigenous film and television production industry is still heavily dependent on imported productions, according to interim figures released by IBEC's Audiovisual Federation in Galway this month.
Overall audiovisual output last year was valued at £162 million, up from £145 million in 1999, but a large amount of it was linked to overseas-based, large budget film productions. As in recent years, film and major television accounted for the largest part of total production, at just over £136 million - or 85 per cent of the total in 2000.
While total production value rose significantly between 1999 and 2000, the amount of Irish expenditure for the same period increased only slightly, according to the figures which were published at the recent Galway Film Fleadh. The estimated Irish proportion of total expenditure in 2000 was almost £99 million, compared with just over £92 million in 1999 - an increase of only £6.5 million, the federation noted.
Irish expenditure on independent television productions increased to £24.3 million last year, compared to £17 million the previous year. This year, RTE plans to spend more than £20 million on independent productions, compared with £16 million last year. TG4 plans to spend £10 million on this sector, compared with £9.5 million last year.
Mr Tommy McCabe, director of IBEC's Audiovisual Federation, welcomed the large increase in the value of both overseas-based and independent productions. However, the independent segment still accounted for only just over a quarter of the total production spend in Ireland, he said.
