Statutory support needed for greater screen diversity, report finds

RTÉ’s Deputy Head of Content, Niamh O’ Connor, suggested the broadcaster had no issue with gender balance, adding “every producer in here is a woman”.

The Irish screen industry has an appetite for further engagement on equality, diversity, and inclusion, but statutory support and resources are required to embed them into policy, a new report has found.

The research report, which audited gender and diversity change in Irish media sectors, was commissioned by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), and conducted by academic experts in gender and sexual inequality.

It found that equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies existed in all broadcasters and Screen Ireland, while independent production companies recognised the need for policy on the issue.

However, many interviewees that spoke with the researchers cautioned that it would take many years for the culture to change existing structures.

“Addressing exclusion will require more practices aimed at change as described above and in addition the creation of a pipeline of more diverse entrants to the industry,” the report found.

When speaking with researchers, RTÉ’s Deputy Head of Content, Niamh O’Connor, suggested the broadcaster had no issue with gender balance, adding “every producer in here is a woman”.

However, RTÉ’s deputy head of sport, Cliona O'Leary, said there was considerable work needed in the area of gender equality in the sports section, with 67 men working in the sector, and 13 women.

In Virgin Media, their action plan struck a note of concern about gender equality, stating: “Being straight up, we’ve not hit the mark on this one”.

TG4, meanwhile, argued the Irish language requirement would curtail the immediate involvement of “new Irish”, the report noted.

However, the broadcaster acknowledged that in certain dance shows, in which the Irish language element “sometimes isn’t as key”, they were able to attract dancers of Chinese and Nigerian heritage.

Dr Anne O’Brien, associate professor at Maynooth University, and one of the researchers involved in the report said it is “crucial” that all institutions reflected the gender, class, sexual, racial, and ethnic identities of their people.