Three-quarters of people working in the Irish screen industries say that being a carer has had a negative impact on their career, according to a new survey.
Maintaining a work and family-life balance, financial uncertainty, childcare costs and limited career opportunities are significant challenges for parents and carers in the screen industries, with women affected disproportionately.
The findings were revealed in a new report called The Pursuit of Change: Issues Affecting Parents and Carers in Ireland’s Screen Industries, which is based on research involving almost 500 individuals and has been launched by parent and carer support organisation Raising Films Ireland.
The report - which sets out to address challenges within Ireland’s screen industry - was launched at an industry event on March 2 as part of the Dublin International Film Festival.
The event was attended by Normal People director Lenny Abrahamson, writer and actor Jody O’Neill, documentary director Anna Rodgers, and producer Macdara Kelleher, and hosted by Dr Susan Liddy, board member at Raising Films Ireland and co-author of the report.
It outlines several issues and challenges for parents and carers in an industry characterised by changing schedules, freelance contracts, and unsociable working hours
75% of respondents said that caring has had a negative impact on their career. Almost four in five (79%) reported that their earnings have been negatively affected. Managing work and family life repeatedly emerged as a major concern, especially for freelancers; with childcare difficult to access and expensive, particularly outside standard working hours.
The report also highlighted the financial uncertainty of many screen professionals. 18% of respondents earn under €10,000 (£8,279) per year, with a further 10% earning €10,000-€19,999 (£8,279-£16,552). The lack of regional or local opportunities also emerged as a major issue, with the vast majority of respondents located in or near the Irish capital, Dublin.
The report indicated a strong desire for structural change in the screen industry and made a number of initial recommendations based on respondents’ concerns. They included the following:
- Reducing the length of the working day on set and introducing flexible working roles including job sharing
- Introducing on-location/set caring facilities and creating production budgets that acknowledge the cost of childcare on set
- Creating short-notice city centre drop-in care centres
- Proving improved paternity leave and equal parenting legislation
- Introducing tax relief for childcare
“The Pursuit of Change Report is a game-changer because it provides us with an insight into the experience of parents and carers in the screen industries that we didn’t have before,” said Liddy. ”It holds a mirror up to the challenges they face on a daily basis. It is clear that there is a pressing need for cultural change and work practices must be looked at with some urgency.
“A range of solutions, supported by industry workers, should also be explored so that skilled and committed professionals will not be forced to choose between work and family. But it is important to be clear that these are huge issues impacting many sectors of Irish society. There are limits to what the screen industries can accomplish alone, without government support. Achieving root and branch change is beyond the scope of any one sector.”
“Raising Films Ireland has a responsibility to our respondents and to our industry to tackle these issues head on,” said Ailish Bracken, chair of Raising Films Ireland. ”We are calling on our industry stakeholders, our funders, our producers, our broadcasters, and most importantly of all, our government, to support us in affecting change.”
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