John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

We will have a site for the new national theatre during the lifetime of the Government. Four sites are in play at present. While the existing Abbey Theatre is on a very good site, were we in a position to acquire the necessary footprint, the reality of the position is that the expense of doing that and the possible delays involved do not make it a viable proposition. We ran into difficulty with the Parnell Square site because we could not buy the property we required at a market value or a reasonable amount. We could not subject taxpayers to paying an inordinate amount of money for a site that was not worth what the prospective vendors were seeking.

The Carlton site is subject to a possible judicial review and there is also the possibility of a Supreme Court appeal. This brings us back to the Dublin Docklands Authority site located at George's Dock, with which Deputy Gogarty is familiar. As of now, the position is that preliminary consultations have been entered into between the Office of Public Works and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. These negotiations are taking place without any commitment by either side.

In truth, every effort is being made to acquire the site. I accept that it is a frustrating experience but I hope we will be able to resolve it in the not too distant future.

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