The Republic of Ireland has become the first country in Europe to offer a tax incentive for unscripted productions.
The tax credit is worth up to 20% of eligible Irish production expenditure, subject to an overall aid cap of 16% of total production costs.
To qualify, productions must have a minimum total budget of €250,000 and incur at least €125,000 in eligible expenditure within Ireland.
The launch of the incentive comes at a difficult time for unscripted productions in Europe and the UK, which have been hard hit by rising costs and a slowdown in commissioning.
First announced as part of Ireland’s Budget 2025 in October 2024, the tax incentive was approved by the European Commission in June 2025 - and has now been formally approved for use by Ireland’s Minister for Finance, the Minister for Culture, and Revenue Commissioners.
A cornerstone of the scheme is a cultural test, developed by Irish authorities, ensuring that supported productions demonstrate a strong cultural character and make a meaningful contribution to the promotion and expression of Irish or European culture.
Susan Kirby, CEO at Screen Producers Ireland, said: "Today is a significant day for the unscripted sector in Ireland. This is the only cultural incentive of its kind in Europe and gives Irish producers the ability to invest in the development of new entertainment formats for Irish and European audiences, as well as delivering higher quality programming on domestic broadcasters and beyond.
.jpg)
Expanded Future Tech to showcase the very best in innovation, technology and talent
After a successful debut in 2025, Future Tech returns to Hall 14 of the RAI this year, with more features, more innovation and more of the technologies shaping the next era of media and entertainment.
Netflix uses GenAI on 300 titles in 2026
Netflix has revealed that nearly 300 titles on its platform have used generative AI, from early concept stages and pre-visualisation through to post-production and release.
Poppy Dixon appointed BBC Head of Documentaries
The BBC has appointed former Sky executive Poppy Dixon as its Head of Documentaries.
Virgin Media launches AI robots to monitor TV network in real-time
Virgin Media has created its own AI robots to monitor its television network quality in real-time in a bid to quickly identify and resolve any issues when they occur.
US government seizes over 1,000 websites streaming FIFA World Cup
Global anti-piracy coalition the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has applauded the US government’s seizure of over 1000 illegal websites streaming the FIFA World Cup over the past month.
 (1).png)
