Lights, camera, local government: How local authorities support film and TV production

On one of her first days in the job, Emma Chambers helped turn a park in Dún Laoghaire into a military camp.

As a film officer with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Emma helps TV and film production companies shoot on location in the area. When the team behind a sitcom set on an army base needed somewhere to film exterior scenes, Emma was the person they contacted. She helped arrange the necessary permits and worked with the team to get the shoot completed, balancing this with the needs of people living in the neighbourhood.

It’s all in a day's work for Ireland's local authority film officers.

Film and TV production is a significant industry in Ireland, with over half a billion euros invested creating movies and shows here in 2025. Productions can bring jobs, business and new visitors to the places where they are made. But before filming starts, production companies may need help finding locations, getting permission to use public spaces and planning their work around residents.  

That's where local authority film officers come in. They help productions manage these practical requirements, and provide a link between production teams, council services and local communities.  

The work of film officers like Emma and her colleagues across the country shows how local authorities support the industry while helping local workers, businesses and community groups benefit from filming.

How do local authorities help film productions get started?

Shooting exterior scenes for a film or TV show can impact public areas. The production team might require equipment that takes up a lot of space, or they might wish to close public roads. For this reason, production companies are required to get permission from the local authority before they can set up a filming location. This helps to minimise any disruption that might be caused to the public.

Local knowledge and relationships help film productions operate successfully while protecting the interests of communities. When Emma took up the role of film officer in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown for example, she’d already spent 20 years working in various roles with the council. That means she is an expert in council procedures, which brings real advantages. In previous years, a production company might have had to deal with multiple council departments to obtain their permits. Now they have a single point of contact who can guide them efficiently.

Film officers also bring in-depth knowledge of the local area when they are working with production companies. They may hear from a production several weeks before filming, and they can help them consider whether a proposed location is suitable, where its vehicles and equipment could be based, and what permissions and safety information will be required.

How do councils balance filming with community needs?

Supporting a production also means considering how filming will affect people who live, work or spend time in an area. John Powderly, film officer with Wicklow County Council, describes this as one of the most important parts of the work.

“Our main concern in the county council is trying to balance the needs of the production, which does bring a lot of benefits to the county, with the needs of the community and the needs of the tourists using the area as well,” he says.

Emma says location managers for production companies tend to be sensitive to local needs. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, productions contact nearby residents and businesses once a filming location has been agreed. They explain their plans and provide a telephone number that people can use if they have questions or concerns. This gives those most directly affected a way to speak with the production team before and during filming.

How can film production benefit local jobs and businesses?

Film and television production can create work for local crew and demand for accommodation, food, transport, construction, equipment and other services.

Film offices can help production teams find those services locally. In Wicklow, the film office worked with the Made in Wicklow initiative to promote furniture makers, potters, jewellery makers and other craftspeople amongst production companies.

“One area that we’re keen to promote in Wicklow is supporting local business,” John says. “We partnered up with the Made in Wicklow brand, which is a local council-supported initiative, just to promote the local craftspeople in Wicklow. When they’re buying gifts for their actors or for their production crew at the end of a production for example, we want them to buy local from Wicklow craftspeople.”

Many crew members working on Wicklow productions also live in the county. This means screen activity can support local employment as well as generating business for suppliers and service providers.

Community organisations can benefit too. John says Wicklow County Council generally does not charge location fees for many locations, as it wants to encourage production activity.

“What we do instead is we encourage the production to make contributions to local community groups,” he explains. “They might contribute to a charity or a local volunteer group.”

Places shown in popular productions may also gain wider recognition, creating opportunities to promote an area and attract visitors after filming has finished.

A role based on local knowledge

For film officers like Emma Chambers and John Powderly, supporting a production means much more than issuing permits. It means using their local knowledge, experience and relationships to help productions get the support they need while considering the communities around them. In doing so, local authorities help Ireland’s film and television industry thrive while creating opportunities for local people and businesses.