Plans for a multi million euro film production hub in Limerick are in motion following confirmation that the local authority is working in partnership with Ireland’s top film and television studios.

Limerick City and County Council has announced that it plans to work with Ardmore Studios to provide major film productions facilities in Limerick.

The proposed studio facilities are expected to cost up to €10m and would include the use of the 300,000 sq ft old Dell building in Castletroy, currently used as the Culture Factory for Limerick City of Culture 2014.

The legacy project for Limerick City of Culture, Film Limerick envisages the city as a film production hub and a major source of employment in the region

Two films have been commissioned and will be screened at international film festivals in 2015 as part of the City of Culture legacy project.

“There is a clear and urgent demand for large scale studio space and support buildings in Ireland, and in our analysis many of the pre-conditions necessary for the creation of studios already exist in Limerick,” said Limerick City and County Council chief executive Conn Murray.

“There are a number of suitable sites and buildings in Limerick that can be upgraded and refurbished to the high spec standards that the industry requires and as the core infrastructure is in situ, this can happen over a short time period,” he said.

The Irish Film Board along with the Department of Arts has recently called for expressions of interest in providing dedicated audio visual content studio facilities including sound stages and related structures.

Welcoming the initiative, chief executive of Ardmore Studios, Siún Ná­ Raghallaigh, said Limerick could gain substantially from the benefits of the newly enhanced film tax credit scheme (Section 481).

“There is growing international interest in Ireland as a production location thanks to the positive tax incentives under Section 481. However, the missing piece of the jigsaw is the availability of appropriate full service studio space in the country,” she said.

“This is something that Limerick could potentially capitalise on. We ourselves have had to turn away business in the past year because we simply do not have the required capacity,” she said.

Limerick City and County Council is proceeding with plans for film studios in Limerick after examining the experience and major success of the creation of such facilities in Belfast from a zero base and the impact on the local community.

“From our research in Northern Ireland, it is evident that success is based on government support, direct investment and commitment given to the vision of those involved. We can commence this project with the existing highly skilled craftspeople from inside and outside the mid-west region and tap into the rich resource of our graduates that are coming out of our third level institutions with film and media qualifications that will support the long term success of the industry,” said Mr Murray.

The existing LEDP building in Roxboro with refurbishment and development of studios and workspaces is also a viable option.