John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.

As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 79 on this subject on 20 October 2004, the Office of Public Works, having investigated over several years various locations for a state-of-the-art National Concert Hall in Dublin, advised me last year that reconfiguration of the site at Earlsfort Terrace where the concert hall is located would provide space for implementation of an imaginative design concept involving the provision of three separate performance spaces and access to the Iveagh Gardens.

As Deputies will appreciate, however, if this concept is to be progressed further it can only be in the context of University College Dublin completing the relocation of all remaining college staff located at Earlsfort Terrace to Belfield. UCD's plans for completing this process are well advanced but the financial issues around the provision of additional accommodation at Belfield have yet to be resolved. My Department has been engaged in a series of discussions with the Department of Education and Science, the Office of Public Works and University College Dublin to clarify the financial and other implications of meeting the needs both of UCD and the National Concert Hall. These discussion are continuing but I hope to be in a position to discuss with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, the parameters of a joint submission to Government on these interlocking issues in the near future.

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