Ms Anna Walsh:

At this stage, it is impossible to come up with a realistic figure. The infrastructural needs of most arts centres and buildings, most of which are multipurpose, are such that there is a need to upgrade for environmental sustainability and energy-efficiency reasons. However, a by-product is that the buildings become more accessible when those works are done. It is therefore a matter of investing in the presentation and production quality of work in parallel with addressing the environmental sustainability and accessibility of the buildings. However, there is a significant investment required. Different types of buildings have different needs and associated costs, so a review of all the building stock is probably needed, with a capital investment programme worked out over a number of years. It is significant but it is allowed for and considered, and it is part of the national development plan. It just needs to be translated into the bigger capital schemes, for which arts centres can be encouraged to apply in a co-ordinated way, all looking at the same criteria concerning sustainability, energy efficiency and accessibility for communities.