Mr. Ray Yeates:

The Senator asked me six questions in total. I reciprocate my admiration for her and her efforts in the area of culture over the years.

The Senator's question was slightly personal. She asked if I am frustrated by my position here. Not at all. Working as a city official means one works in reality and not aspiration. The area of cultural venues, for example, have been very successful. Let me say to these people that they are not wasting their time at all because the lobby group for the visual arts around artist work spaces has been particularly successful. It has lobbied at every opportunity and has elected members speaking for it. It has spoken a lot in the community of public participation network, PPN. Its representatives come into my office quite a lot and developed partnership. We have started feasibility studies under the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, for two sites in Dublin 8 and are looking at two major buildings to bring into cultural use.

It is hard, not frustrating, because reality is hard. We can say we want something. However, desire means ones does not have it. How does one get it? It is the practical aspect in which city officials are involved. It is actually doing it, not just talking about it. I am not frustrated because I am in the place, along with planners and economic development planners, where we can work to produce results. That is not frustrating at all.

As regards three threats and three pitfalls, there will be objections to every innovation. By definition, as soon one makes a proposition of something new, one could have residents object to a cultural venue or a lack of balance in the market. We have to deal with those objections. These are not objections with which the proposers will have to deal. We will have to give proper answers, do them under the law and answer solicitors’ letters. It is not that we are not positive about increasing or enhancing cultural life. The question is how we do it, not why we do it. Those are the big pitfalls.

Gaining the partnership of the officials involved is important. Rather than all of us hanging around, doing nothing only trying to obstruct, it is quite the opposite. As regards partnership with local authorities, the whole idea of boosting the night-time economy is not big on my radar. Lack of cultural venues and artists’ workspaces is at the centre of my radar. I work on that every day. How to develop the night-time economy has been brought forward successfully by the lobby. Now it is time to respond to that as all local authorities must.

Why are we not doing the research now? It is because we were not doing it before. It is only now that we are getting into the idea of doing this. Speaking from my office’s point of view, we were not moving in the area of the night-time economy. When I was younger, shows would begin in the Peacock Theatre 11:15 p.m. They fell out of use, however. It was not just because of licensing but because of transport, demand and other issues. I would love to see cultural venues open and working but only if it works for everybody. If it does not, it will be opposed.

The Tivoli Theatre was interesting and I produced many shows there in previous careers. Nobody is talking about the venues which opened as well. There are venues such as the Complex Arts Centre and Smock Alley.