Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

This is becoming a long-running saga, comparable in some ways to the Abbey Theatre saga. Hopefully, however, it will not be put on the back burner. I am sure the Minister will agree that the provision of an enlarged national concert hall is important for the country. Currently, a number of international performances cannot take place in Dublin due to the lack of proper facilities, including stage size and changing areas. Those of us who are familiar with the National Concert Hall can fully appreciate that situation.

At the moment, the concert hall can be booked out for popular performances so there is a need for a new hall to cater for audience requirements.

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