Ms Clíona Dukes:

There are two separate arguments. We have sent a draft agenda to the Abbey and we are waiting for it to get back to us. Let us all be on the same side. Let us all get together and increase the funding. Funding in Ireland is 0.1% of GDP but it is 0.6% in Europe and we absolutely punch above our weight internationally. Imagine what we could do if we were on 0.6% of GDP. It would be remarkable.

We have only one national theatre and it is special. It needs to have a remit that takes this into consideration and represents the entire island of Ireland. It is not the remit of all the other theatres. They have their own specific remits and are there to produce and provide for audiences throughout the country. A very important part of the conversation is the national theatre remit, how special it is to us and how historic it is as well as being able to show us where we are going.