Dublin film studios plan ‘a no-brainer’
THE IDA has told Dublin City Council that a proposed new film studio has the potential to have a “significant impact on the economy”.
It outlined how it believed it would create direct and indirect employment, boost FDI and tourism and aid the development of digital and creative skills.
Dublin Bay Studios — a company spearheaded by businessman James Morris and producer Alan Moloney — is proposing an €80m world-class film studio on a portion of the site known as Poolbeg West.
The IDA wrote: “The creation of a Dublin city centre film studio with large-scale filming capabilities could help to build a downtown creative cluster as replicated in other cities and could significantly boost employment.”
The letter was submitted during a consultation on the Poolbeg West SDZ plan.
In May, councillors voted to amend the plan by rezoning 18 acres to allow for consideration of film studios. This was despite opposition to the plan from Dublin Port, which wants to see the land retained for core port use. There have also been claims the plan would squeeze out housing development. A vote on the amended scheme takes plan on October 2.
Morris said there had been considerable support of the studios, adding that area in question has been deemed not suitable for housing. “We are not competing with housing at all,” he said.
Irish actor Jamie Dornan, who stars in the Fifty Shades films, has publicly backed the plan. “For me, this is a no-brainer,” he said on Friday.
“Dublin is crying out for a city centre production studio on the scale that Alan and James are proposing.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that if it had enough well-positioned studio space, Dublin would attract some of the biggest film and television productions in the world.
“This is a multi-billion dollar industry but right now Dublin doesn’t have the capacity or infrastructure to capitalise on it fully.”