Ex-politicians paid €40,000 to watch films

Amhran Nua

Interesting article from the Times Online here, seems like the standard jobs for the lads scenario...

It is a couch potato’s dream job but it seems to be open only to political appointees. Ten officials working for the Irish Film Classification Office (Ifco) were paid almost €40,000 each in fees and expenses in 2008 to watch and give movies an age rating, the equivalent of about €60 for each title they watched.

The officials, many of them former politicians appointed by the minister for justice, are expected to watch and rate up to three films in a day’s work.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) show that the 10 assistant classifiers were paid fees of €306,683 and expenses of €52,569 in 2007; €339,608 in fees and €49,898 in expenses in 2008; and €162,263 in fees and €21,401 in expenses for the first six months of last year.

The 10 include several Fianna Fail politicians, such as P J Sheridan, a former councillor who failed to win a seat in last summer’s local elections. There are three former senators, including Olga Bennett from Dublin, Tom Fitzgerald from Dingle, and Marian McGennis who now lives in Laois and is a former TD for Dublin.

Elizabeth Davidson, a Green party politician who failed to win a seat in last year’s Dublin South by-election, is also a classifier with the Ifco.

The highest expenses in 2007 and 2008 were claimed by classifiers living outside the capital. While officials can watch and rate DVDs at home, they have to travel to the Ifco offices in Smithfield, central Dublin, to watch theatrical releases.

Nermal

Seems like an obvious improvement in the situation would be to present the bill to the studios rather than the taxpayer...

The_Honeybadger

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Interesting article from the Times Online here, seems like the standard jobs for the lads scenario...

I also know of a lady who was on a salary of 38k a couple of short years ago to check on the standard of food in the prisons. I suppose the film ratings need to be done, but does the taxpayer actually foot the bill, is that agency claiming money from the state or does the industry pay, surely it is up to the film distributors to pay for this work.

ArmaniJeanss

mickeyk wrote: »

I suppose the film ratings need to be done, but does the taxpayer actually foot the bill, is that agency claiming money from the state or does the industry pay, surely it is up to the film distributors to pay for this work.

I'm fairly sure the film distributors have to pay a fee to get a film 'licensed' in each country.
Whether these overall fees comes close to,exceed, or are merely a fraction of the cost of running IFCO is something I don't know - it's a pity the Irish Times didn't check this.

Edit : Did a bit of digging and its UK equivalent, the BBFC is self funding through the fee money it receives, so IFCO is quite likely much the same.
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards/business/age-related-sales/videos.aspx

■The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is an independent, non-governmental body funded through the fees it charges to those who submit films, videos, DVDs and digital games for classification.

Riskymove

From IFCO Annual Report

Fees charged for film certification - €268,542
Fees for DVD certs - €2,448,901

I guess that covers €400k in expenses in 2008 with a bit to spare

Gurgle

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Interesting article from the Times Online here, seems like the standard jobs for the lads scenario...

Your link leads to the UK times report on Iceland's debt....

dvpower

mickeyk wrote: »

I suppose the film ratings need to be done, but does the taxpayer actually foot the bill, is that agency claiming money from the state or does the industry pay, surely it is up to the film distributors to pay for this work.

The work needs to be done, but why does it need to be done by failed politicians?

Gurgle

I would have thought sociologists / psychologists / somethingologists would be better qualified.

Alcatel

Go back over the history of this and other state bodies, and check the political affiliations and connections of senior people against the government of the day.

Do I see riots in the streets over it all?

Nope.

Well, yet another story about Irish government waste and cronyism. We ought to invent an acronym to affix to every thread title about it.

Blisterman

They should just use the UK ratings. It's nearly always the same anyway, and DVDs have that already printed on it.

bijapos

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Interesting article from the Times Online here, seems like the standard jobs for the lads scenario...

This story appeared in the Sunday Times last May or June. Has something changed or is there a particular reason for dragging up an 8 month old story?

Yes it looks like a jobs for the girls & boys thing, but whats new?

Nermal

Just abolish it - if there's actually demand for it a private organisation will step in.

AARRRGH

dvpower wrote: »

The work needs to be done, but why does it need to be done by failed politicians?

Does it really need to be done? I'd rather we just used the UK's classifications and saved the couple of million we spend on the IFCO per year.

dvpower

AARRRGH wrote: »

Does it really need to be done? I'd rather we just used the UK's classifications and saved the couple of million we spend on the IFCO per year.

An EU wide classification authority could do it. Isn't that the sort of thing the EU is for?

AARRRGH

dvpower wrote: »

An EU wide classification authority could do it. Isn't that the sort of thing the EU is for?

In theory yes, but is frigid Ireland really ready for slutty France?

Seth Brundle

Surely posts like this should be advertised, etc.?

AARRRGH wrote: »

In theory yes, but is frigid Ireland really ready for slutty France?

I am

Alcatel

As an aside, I think a pan-European ratings system might happen eventually... Though to be honest, even in a federal state like Europe you leave some things down to the locals and their different value systems - Holland vs Ireland or even the UK is a different kettle of fish, for example.

Back to the topic of jobs for the boys... Like I say, look at every state agency and state apointed job. Very few are appointed on merit. And we reap the rewards of that every time something goes wrong around here.

thebman

Alcatel wrote: »

As an aside, I think a pan-European ratings system might happen eventually... Though to be honest, even in a federal state like Europe you leave some things down to the locals and their different value systems - Holland vs Ireland or even the UK is a different kettle of fish, for example.

Back to the topic of jobs for the boys... Like I say, look at every state agency and state apointed job. Very few are appointed on merit. And we reap the rewards of that every time something goes wrong around here.

and it will stay like that until people make it to their agenda when politicians turn up looking for votes TBH and for years afterwards until they are voted out of power over and over for not listening to the people.

Unfortunately other policies like health may/would suffer massively in trying to do that but basically the only way to teach them is to punish them when they do wrong and reward them when they do right with your vote like we are supposed to do. And not doing good for their local area but you know, doing the job they are elected to do and not just doing favors for locals which is half the problem of Ireland. Its basically bribing the electorate for votes IMO if your a national politician.

Sleepy

Not surprised in the least by this. Agree that it should be done on the basis of an open interview process though.

One point about the 'pan-European classification' idea: certain films get relaxed treatment from the censor 'in the national interest'. I know Michael Collins certainly got a lower certificate here that it would have had it been a straight-forward action film rather than a dramatisation of historic events in Ireland. (I know that historical inaccuracies abound in the film, just using it as an example).

ceret

Blisterman wrote: »

They should just use the UK ratings. It's nearly always the same anyway, and DVDs have that already printed on it.

Yes true, but we can't have the Brits controlling what films we watch, can we??!?!?!?!

thebman

Could just let the industry rate their content and fine them if they choose inappropriate ratings that clearly breach guidelines.

mike65

Have to laugh, if it was decided to ditch independent classification and to simply use the UK ratings some of the usual boards suspects would be up in arms at this outrage, as for an EU wide system that'll never happen as the EU doesn't impose cultural values.

ceret

thebman wrote: »

Could just let the industry rate their content and fine them if they choose inappropriate ratings that clearly breach guidelines.

Ah, but that's not so simple. You'll need staff to investigate films to see if they "clearly breach guidelines", you'll need to hire extra solicitors and barristers to deal with the new legal workload, etc. Basically your suggestion would cost us money aswell. Whether it's cheaper or more expensive than what we have now, I don't know.

In the USA, the film industry rates itself. There are many independent film makers who really don't like this, see the film: "This film is not yet rated" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_film_is_not_yet_rated

thebman

ceret wrote: »

Ah, but that's not so simple. You'll need staff to investigate films to see if they "clearly breach guidelines", you'll need to hire extra solicitors and barristers to deal with the new legal workload, etc. Basically your suggestion would cost us money aswell. Whether it's cheaper or more expensive than what we have now, I don't know.

In the USA, the film industry rates itself. There are many independent film makers who really don't like this, see the film: "This film is not yet rated" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_film_is_not_yet_rated

Well if they are in breach of regulations they'll have to pay the states fees as part of the fine.