Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In some senses, the reply from the Minister of State has highlighted the problem. There is a planning element to this because unless you have the physical space and infrastructure, it is difficult to have these activities. Most of the examples the Minister of State gave were rightly about the reuse of existing buildings and I accept there is some good work. If we consider Adamstown, which is being developed at the moment, one of the big complaints from cultural organisations, from dancing groups to theatre groups - notwithstanding the opening of the community centre a number of years ago, which is now full - is that they have no physical space within a rapidly growing area because there is no provision for such space. There was a more general provision for a community centre, which was provided after great effort and much delay. In the same way as there have been many battles about the provision of sporting facilities, the same issues arise for cultural spaces. To point to one use of the word "cultural" in these sections of the Bill is the problem because it does not give enough weight to these issues. That is why I think a requirement to have statements to flesh that out in a more specific manner in a strategy and to be able to apply specific conditions to permission would be better. I know the Minister of State is not accepting the amendments but I do not think he can honestly say that section 46(2)(a) is the same as what we are proposing in these amendments or that it is sufficient. I again ask him to reconsider.