Harmful trade union practices almost prevented the film The Guards from being made in Galway, but such practices must not be allowed continue as they could undermine film making in Ireland.
This is the view of Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy Eames, who attended the premiere of the Galway-based film The Guards, based on Ken Bruen’s novel.
She said the film will “sell a real and vibrant picture of Galway city all over the world, better than any tourism advertising campaign could ever achieve”.
Sen Healy Eames said “culture means business in Galway” and she pointed out that the Galway Arts Festival generates a turnover of €20 million and brings 150,000 visitors to the city. She said culture represents “opportunities” and “solutions to our current economic crisis”, opportunities that remain to be investigated and exploited.
She also pointed out that locally based Magma Films is now in Germany seeking investors to produce 26 episodes based on Ken Bruen’s books, worth €39 million in production plus revenues.
However she was highly critical of the trade unions, which she accused of engaging in “harmful practices” that are damaging the Irish film industry.
“Prohibitive union practices that delayed and added extra costs to filming,” she alleged. “Foreign investors, contributing 80 per cent of the movie’s budget, wanted the film made in rural Derry as opposed to Galway, due to the unreasonable tactics of the film union’s requirements.”
She further alleged that such requirements included paying “inordinate sums of money” to standby electricians and painters, up to €4,000 per week in some cases.
Sen Healy Eames asked that the Minister for Tourism and Culture Mary Hanafin investigate such union practices that could “harm the film industry or contribute to productions being shot at locations outside the Republic of Ireland”.
