Screen Ireland

Overview

Screen Ireland (formally Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland) is the national development agency for Irish film, television drama, animation, and documentary. The agency operates under the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport with a 2026 budget of €42.96 million, a 5.1% increase from 2025. It is the primary public funder of Irish screen content and the administrative body that connects producers to Ireland's Section 481 tax credit.

In 2025, production spend eligible under Section 481 reached €544 million, a 26% increase over 2024 and a new record for the Irish screen industry. The sector now contributes over €1 billion in Gross Value Added to the Irish economy and supports 15,899 full-time equivalent jobs. Screen Ireland's 2026 production slate includes 87 projects: 22 feature films, 17 documentaries, 13 TV dramas and animated series, and over 30 short films.

The agency accepts applications from Irish producers and from international producers working in co-production with Irish partners. Development funding is open year-round through an online portal. Production funding requires an Irish producer with a track record and a developed script.

Funding Programs

Screen Ireland operates several distinct funding streams, each with specific eligibility requirements and award ranges:

• Development funding: Script and project development awards for Irish producers and writers. Covers draft scripts, rewrites, and research. Applications are accepted year-round.
• Production funding: Co-investment in qualifying Irish productions. Screen Ireland typically contributes 10% to 25% of a project's budget, depending on budget level, Irish creative content, and employment of Irish crew and cast.
• Distribution support: Awards supporting theatrical release and international sales for Irish films. Helps Irish producers secure cinema bookings and festival positioning.
• International co-production: Support for Irish participation in official co-productions under treaties with Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, and other partners.
• Talent development: In 2025, Screen Ireland invested over €2 million in targeted schemes for new and emerging filmmakers, supporting over 670 individuals at early career stages. Over 6,500 skills placements were recorded across courses, on-set placements, and training programs.

Since its remit expanded to include TV drama in 2015, Screen Ireland has invested €29.5 million across production and development of over 250 TV drama projects, including Normal People (2020), Kin, The Dry, The Walsh Sisters, and Bad Sisters (2022). The agency works in partnership with RTÉ, Virgin Media, TG4, and international broadcasters including BBC, Netflix, and Hulu.

The Section 481 Tax Credit

Section 481 is Ireland's payable tax credit for film, television, animation, creative documentary, post-production and VFX, and games development. It is administered by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Revenue Commissioners.

Base Rate and Scéal Uplift

The base rate is 32% of eligible Irish expenditure. In March 2025, the European Commission approved the Scéal Uplift, which provides an additional 8% relief for small to medium-sized productions, bringing the total credit to 40% for qualifying projects. The Scéal Uplift applies to productions that meet specific budget thresholds and Irish cultural content requirements.

Key Parameters

• Minimum spend: €125,000 in eligible Irish expenditure
• Maximum per project: 32% of the lower of (a) all eligible expenditure, (b) 80% of total production cost, or (c) €125 million
• Payment structure: First instalment of 90% of the 32% credit on production commencement; second and final instalment of the remaining 10% plus the 8% Scéal Uplift (if applicable) on delivery and submission of a compliance report
• VFX enhancement: Budget 2026 announced a new 40% rate of relief for eligible VFX production, further increasing Ireland's competitiveness for visual effects work

What Qualifies as Eligible Irish Expenditure

Eligible expenditure includes all cast and crew working in Ireland and all goods and services sourced in Ireland, including post-production and VFX. There is no annual cap on the total programme. The credit is available to both domestic Irish productions and international productions that establish an Irish production company.

Skills Development Plan Requirement

All Section 481 applications must include a TAB F Skills Development Plan. For projects with eligible expenditure exceeding €2 million, the plan must also be submitted to Screen Ireland for approval at least 21 working days before commencement of Irish production.

History

The Irish Film Board was established in 1981 to support indigenous Irish filmmaking. Early investments helped launch the careers of Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan. My Left Foot (1989) and The Crying Game (1992), both Board-supported and distributed by Miramax, proved that Irish cinema could achieve both commercial and critical success on the international market.

The agency was dissolved in 1987 due to government budget cuts and re-established in 1993. The intervening gap disrupted a generation of Irish filmmaking, but the reconstituted Board gradually rebuilt funding infrastructure through the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2015, the agency's remit expanded to include television drama, a change that unlocked investment in long-form Irish storytelling. The agency was renamed Screen Ireland in 2018 to reflect this broader scope across all screen sectors.

Recent Productions

Screen Ireland-supported titles include Room (2015), Brooklyn (2015), The Lobster (2015), Calm with Horses (2019), Wolfwalkers (2020), The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), An Cailin Ciuin / The Quiet Girl (2022), and the TV series Normal People (2020) and Bad Sisters (2022).

The 2026 Academy Award nominations included 10 nominations for Irish creatives and Irish-produced films, including Best Actress for Jessie Buckley.

International Productions Attracted by Section 481

Major international productions that have filmed in Ireland using the tax credit include Braveheart (1995), Reign of Fire (2002), King Arthur (2004), PS I Love You (2007), and the television series Vikings (2013-2020) and Into the Badlands (2015-2019).

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Irish Producers

Development funding applications are submitted through Screen Ireland's online portal. Production funding requires a track record, a developed script, and a detailed budget. The agency evaluates projects on creative quality, Irish employment, and market potential. Producers should apply well in advance of intended production dates, as review cycles take several weeks.

For International Producers

Screen Ireland recommends that international producers work with an established Irish production company. The Irish partner handles the Section 481 application, manages local crew and services, and oversees budgeting, scouting, scheduling, casting, and crewing. Screen Ireland provides information on registered Irish production companies and maintains a network of industry contacts.

The combination of Section 481 (up to 40% with Scéal Uplift) and Screen Ireland production funding can cover a substantial portion of a project's budget. For VFX-heavy productions, the new 40% VFX relief announced in Budget 2026 adds further value.

Co-Production Treaties

Ireland has official co-production treaties with Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, and others. Co-productions qualify for Section 481 on the Irish portion of expenditure and can access the partner country's incentives on their portion, making structured co-productions one of the most efficient ways to finance an independent film in Ireland.

Notable Productions

Screen Ireland-supported titles span feature films, television drama, animation, and documentary:

House Style / Genre Focus

Screen Ireland does not operate as a genre-specific studio. As a public funding body, the agency supports work across all genres and formats. However, several patterns define the Irish screen sector that Screen Ireland funds:

Irish cinema leans toward character-driven drama, literary adaptation, and stories rooted in specific Irish communities and landscapes. Recent successes include rural period drama (The Quiet Girl), dark comedy (The Banshees of Inisherin, Bad Sisters), literary adaptation (Normal People, Brooklyn), and animation (Wolfwalkers). The agency also funds documentary filmmaking, with 17 documentaries in the 2026 slate alone.

What Screen Ireland does NOT fund: pure commercial genre fare without Irish cultural content, films with no Irish creative contribution, or projects that do not meet the Section 481 eligibility requirements. The agency prioritizes Irish employment, Irish creative content, and market potential.

How They Typically Find Talent / Take Submissions

Screen Ireland operates an open application system through its online portal. Unlike private studios, the agency actively solicits applications from Irish producers and writers at all career stages:

1. Development funding: Open year-round through the online portal. Irish producers and writers submit scripts, treatments, and project descriptions. The agency evaluates creative quality, Irish employment, and market potential.
2. Production funding: Requires an Irish producer with a track record, a developed script, and a detailed budget. Screen Ireland typically contributes 10% to 25% of a project's budget.
3. Talent development schemes: In 2025, Screen Ireland invested over €2 million in targeted schemes for new and emerging filmmakers, supporting over 670 individuals. Over 6,500 skills placements were recorded across courses, on-set placements, and training programs.
4. International co-production: International producers must work with an established Irish production company. The Irish partner handles the Section 481 application and manages local crew and services.

For unrepresented filmmakers, Screen Ireland provides the most accessible funding path in the Irish screen sector. The agency publishes detailed guidelines, deadlines, and application criteria on its website.

Recent Output / Slate Year

2026 Production Slate

Screen Ireland launched its 2026 production slate of 87 projects in January 2026:

• 22 feature films
• 17 documentaries
• 13 TV dramas and animated series
• Over 30 short films

Feature films in the 2026 slate include Power Ballad (starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, filmed across Ireland), The Lost Children of Tuam, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, Julián, and One Last Deal.

2025 Industry Data

In 2025, production spend eligible under Section 481 reached €544 million, a 26% increase over 2024 and a new record for the Irish screen industry. The sector contributes over €1 billion in Gross Value Added to the Irish economy and supports 15,899 full-time equivalent jobs.

Screen Ireland's 2026 budget is €42.96 million, a 5.1% increase from 2025. The agency has invested €29.5 million across production and development of over 250 TV drama projects since its remit expanded to include TV drama in 2015.

Watch: Trailers & Behind the Scenes

See Also

For understanding how European public film financing works alongside distribution deals, see Distribution Deals Explained. To model production costs and incentive structures across territories, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For evaluating festival strategy for Irish co-productions, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For the official Section 481 guidelines and application portal, visit Screen Ireland's filming page.