EU approves cash for Irish films
The European Commission today approved UK government cash support towards a new £12m (€17.8m) four-year scheme to promote Irish language films and television programmes in Northern Ireland.
The Commission, which has to authorise all state aid under EU fair competition rules, said the Northern Irish Language Broadcast Fund qualified because it supported culture.
“The Fund fosters broadcasts for Irish language speakers and I am happy to approve state aid which promotes cultural and regional identity,” said EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
The newly-established Fund offers cash for the production and broadcast of output in the Irish language.
To qualify for funding, a minimum of 60% of the spoken word content of a production must be in Irish, and every production must be subtitled in English.
Other criteria the Fund sets down are that the production must be of “artistic quality” and should reach a “substantial” audience in Northern Ireland. Beneficiaries are most likely to be independent production companies.
The Fund is the result of a British government pledge in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to find more effective ways of encouraging and financing Irish language film.
