Mr. Niall Ó Donnchú:

One other point related to examples of other legislation.

Going back to the guiding principle here, in response to Senator Mac Conghail on the blend and balance to which the Vice Chairman also referred, the intention here is not to push the National Concert Hall towards one particular facet of its role, that is, the so-called public service remit, or towards the other one that is grounded in a more commercial environment. We seek here - Senator Mac Conghail is correct that there are few examples of it - almost to blend and balance both so that it veers neither one way nor the other. Part of the rationale for consultation with the board and the executive was to proof that through their operational experience of how it works as they operate in that environment every day.

There has been a lengthy consultation. The chairman of the board gave a flavour of some of the issues that have come up. We have taken quite a few of those on board - I do not propose to go through them. That consultation continues, in terms of refining and distilling this, and the feedback from this committee will be part of the consideration set before the Bill is finalised and produced.