Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Public Accounts Committee

2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 15 - Galway Art House Cinema
Vote 33 - Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

9:00 am

Ms Katherine Licken:

I am happy to follow up on that point with Foras na Gaeilge. The rent that it was paying was €472,500 per annum. The new rent is €593,000 per annum but within that €593,000 is a period of 15 years where we are rolling in some of the fit-out cost into the annual rent as opposed to paying it upfront. The old lease came to an end in 2017. There were two properties, one on Merrion Square and one on Frederick Street, both coming up for renewal at the same time. In view of the pressing accommodation requirements, Foras na Gaeilge submitted a comprehensive business case to the two sponsor Departments in August 2016 with regard to a proposal to move to the new headquarters on Amiens Street.