John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

The Government, on 29 January 2003, authorised me to invite expressions of interest by way of public invitation from the private sector in participating, on the basis of a PPP, in the capital redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre in and/or around the vicinity of the site of the existing theatre. My Department, with the Department of Finance and the Office of Public Works, has been working to implement that decision.

In order to be compatible with the functions, profile and status of a national theatre and to address the acknowledged defects with the existing theatre a re-developed premises requires: to be a signature development, representative of a national theatre in the 21st century; to be in an appropriate civic setting and form part of the overall urban regeneration represented by the O'Connell Street integrated area plan and the north-east inner city plan; three significant enlarged auditoria, namely, the Abbey, the Peacock and a third multi-purpose space; a dedicated education and outreach facility; a publicly accessible archive; a restaurant-bar; improved public areas; disabled access for audiences and artists; and best practice theatre production facilities.

For the Abbey and the Peacock to function efficiently, effectively and without compromise, their basic functioning must not depend on movement of goods and people by mechanical lift. In essence, this means that the stages of both the Abbey and Peacock theatres must be positioned at ground level. In addition, both theatres must have easy access, also at the same level, to the scenery store and the prop store. It is agreed between the management of the Abbey and the OPW that there is a requirement for a ground floor footprint that is considerably larger than now exists. For the theatre to remain in its existing location, it will, therefore, be necessary to acquire properties adjacent to the existing premises.

Indications are that such acquisition will prove very costly and problematic in respect of timescale. My Department and the OPW are carefully examining all of the issues now arising and I intend to present my conclusions to Government in the near future. My personal preference, in common with that of many other cities around the world, would be for the theatre to be re-developed at its exiting location but I cannot ignore the realities of price and design. I assure Deputy Deenihan of my determination to have decisions taken on the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre in this its centenary year.

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