John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

It is my intention to bring a proposal to the Government shortly. I can confirm that the only site under consideration at present is the George's Dock site. I expect the full report from the OPW shortly, probably in a matter of weeks. At that point the proposal will be brought to Government. I expect that the construction of a new national theatre would result in an international competition.

Whether it will be a public private partnership is a matter to be decided by the Government. There are arguments for and against. Some argue that if it were a public private partnership and if other commercial considerations were involved, it might be a success. Others argue that if it is to be a stand-alone project, it could not possibly succeed as a public private partnership. In any event, the Government must come to a decision about the site and I expect it to consider that within a short period. I will not waste a moment when I have the report from the Office of Public Works. I understand that the site is available free of charge.

See this speech in context