As of August 2000 and in accordance with Article 5, Paragraph 5 of the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production the competent authority in Ireland is the Irish Film Board/An Bord Scannán na hÉireann (BSÉ/IFB).


Irish Film Board
List of competent European authorities visit the Council of Europe

The Irish Government has entered into official co-production arrangements with Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This means that a film or television programme, once it has been approved as an official co-production, is thus regarded as a national production of each of the respective co-producing countries and is therefore deemed eligible for any benefits or programs of assistance available in the participating countries.

For a project to qualify as an official co-production under these agreements there must be a co-producer in each country and appropriate authorities must judge that there is a fair balance between the Irish financial and creative contribution.

Irish co-producers and co-production companies

'Fiction Creative Co-production' status applications should be sent to the Irish Film Board/An Bord Scannán na hÉireann from the Irish co-producer of a project before the start of principal photography or key animation whereby your information will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities of the other country/ies involved in aforementioned co-production. 
 
Following a successful 'Fiction Creative Co-Production' application, the BSÉ/IFB can act as minor financier and creative collaborator for feature films that originate outside Ireland in which an Irish producer is involved. This minority funding occurs only where the film is planned as an official co-production and where there is a financial commitment by a funding body in the country of the principal producer that will, in turn, provide an equal amount of support for an Irish film.

The BSÉ/IFB Fiction Creative Co-production does not include TV drama (singles or series) or animated TV series, rather it is established to support live-action and animated feature films which may be made in any language.