Ireland’s screen sector is making a final pre-budget push, and the stakes are bigger than a single tax line. In media Ireland, the debate now centres on whether Budget 2027 can help spread film and TV production beyond the traditional east coast strongholds and unlock more jobs, skills and investment in the regions.
Industry figures are calling on Government to restore an 8 per cent regional uplift to the section 481 tax credit, a measure they say would make productions outside Dublin and Wicklow far more competitive. The appeal comes as producers, studio operators and trade bodies argue that regional capacity cannot grow without longer-term certainty.
Why the regional tax break is back on the agenda in media Ireland
The request is straightforward: add an 8 per cent regional enhancement to section 481, the tax relief used by film and television productions. At present, qualifying companies can claim relief worth 32 per cent of eligible expenditure, up to a cap of €125 million. Supporters of the change say the extra regional incentive would help rebalance where productions are made.
The previous regional uplift operated from 2019 to 2023 before being phased out. Since then, the concentration of shoots in Leinster has remained a major concern. With only a modest share of production spend flowing outside the east, campaigners say the current model is limiting the wider growth potential of the Irish media industry.
Industry voices say regional growth needs certainty
Veteran producer David Puttnam has urged the Government to use the budget to “spread Ireland’s screen industry across the whole country”, arguing that talent in places such as west Cork, Galway and other regional centres should not have to relocate to build careers.
His argument is backed by real production experience. Puttnam pointed to west Cork, where local involvement in earlier productions helped launch careers, but where many workers still had to move away to continue in the business. He also highlighted the success of a recent feature filmed in Skibbereen, saying the local studio had brought fresh energy and employment to the area.
Across the sector, the message is consistent:
- regional studios need competitive incentives to win projects;
- producers need multi-year certainty because films and series take years to finance and deliver;
- local crews, suppliers and services all benefit when productions stay in the region.
For anyone tracking media news Ireland, this is more than a tax story. It is about where future creative economies are built and which communities get to share in that growth.
What the sector says is at risk
Studio operators and production companies say the absence of the uplift is already costing regional Ireland business. Some warn that productions are being lost because regional facilities cannot match the economics available elsewhere. Others say a permanent incentive would give investors and producers the confidence to develop long-term production hubs rather than short-lived bursts of activity.
That position has also been echoed by industry representatives who say members want to work where they live, build local companies and create sustainable employment. In the broader media industry Ireland conversation, the issue ties into economic development, skills retention and infrastructure planning.
There is also a wider knock-on effect. Regional production supports spending on accommodation, transport, catering, trades and local services. In that sense, the proposal sits naturally within wider media updates Ireland and business debates around balanced national growth.
What to watch ahead of Budget 2027
With budget day approaching, the sector is looking for one key signal: permanence. Producers say a short-term incentive is less useful than a stable framework that lasts as long as section 481 itself.
Key questions now include:
- Will the Government restore the 8 per cent regional uplift?
- Will any measure be temporary or long-term?
- Can the budget help turn regional studios into lasting production centres?
If ministers move, it could become one of the most meaningful media Ireland developments of the year. If they do not, the concentration of screen production in the east may continue, leaving regional ambitions waiting for another budget cycle.
For the Irish screen business, the takeaway is clear: a targeted regional incentive is no longer being framed as a bonus, but as a necessary tool for sustainable growth in media Ireland.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
