Written by new-contact on Mar 22, 2013. Posted in General Interest

Irish leader discusses location filming opportunities with Steven Spielberg

Ireland’s Prime Minister, known as the Taoiseach, has met with Steven Spielberg in Los Angeles to discuss Irish location filming opportunities. Enda Kenny confirmed that Ireland’s filming incentive programme will remain flexible.

“[Mr Spielberg] is genuinely aware of the potential of Ireland and is keenly interested,” Kenny told the Irish Independent: “But it is not a one-way street and I confirmed that Ireland, for our part, would look at the processes that we have. We would avail, in the best way possible, for the potential of someone as influential as Steven Spielberg.”

Spielberg travelled to County Wexford in the late 90s to film scenes for his World War II drama Saving Private Ryan (right), but doesn’t have any immediate plans to return to the country.

The meeting comes in the same week that Northern Ireland discussed location filming interests with production companies in the US in the build-up to the new series of Games of Thrones, which has been based in Belfast. Northern Ireland is likely to become more competitive with its southern neighbour when the UK’s TV filming tax credit is launched in the spring.