Mr. Ray Yeates:

In doing so I might stray into the political arena, not just the official arena. I would, therefore, very definitely make a demarcation line. It is not simply a matter of venues. We are talking about the role and importance of the artist in the city. Traditionally, we have prided ourselves on being very welcoming. Our international reputation is based on our Nobel Prize winners, etc. When I was in New York last week, I met two people, one of whom had run the Seventh Avenue Playhouse, while the other had run the Perry Street Theatre, both of which had been closed owing to the excessive rents charged. This is not a new phenomenon worldwide. The absence of off-Broadway venues is significant for anybody who wants to put on a show in a venue with 100 to 190 seats. There is a value split because a culturally vibrant city will have great long-term and short-term economic value. These are values society must debate. It is not for a Dublin City Council official to set out what the right way is.

People need housing. If one is discussing cultural venues, one is talking about people who are, perhaps, providing sites for housing. Everything has to be balanced and debated. There are no simple easy answers to what are complex questions.

With no offence to anybody, but the arts are thriving in Dublin. I was not asked for many meetings on the whole idea of extended hours until recently. That is not an anecdote but a fact. It needs to be built patiently. I accept that people were running venues for 20 to 30 years.