John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

When the relocation of UCD from Earlsfort Terrace to Belfield began in the 1950s, the expectation was that the site and premises at Earlsfort Terrace would transfer to the State as progress with the development of Belfield enabled Earlsfort Terrace to be vacated. Against this background, Government decisions in 1974 and 1981 to convert a portion of the building for use as a National Concert Hall were widely perceived as being the first step in the phased development of a performance complex at Earlsfort Terrace.

The opening of the NCH addressed a long perceived gap in the cultural infrastructure of the city for a venue suitable for classical music performance. Its location in an historic building with an imposing façade, well known to Dubliners and to generations of graduates countrywide, also contributed to its appeal. However, it was evident from the outset that the space allocated was cramped and inadequate, especially from the perspective of stage dimensions and backstage accommodation.

Notwithstanding these limitations, the NCH is highly regarded internationally by performers. It has broadened its cultural remit and now embraces traditional and popular music alike, serving the needs of patrons across all strata of society. That said, the seating layout and quality of the NCH is basic. Increasingly stringent health and safety and other legal requirements, including requirements coming on stream in respect of open access for disabled persons, are also proving to be problematic. These shortcomings cannot adequately be addressed within existing space constraints.

As the arrangements being made by the UCD authorities to relocate all remaining Departments and personnel from Earlsfort Terrace to Belfield are at an advanced stage, the university has signalled its preference to have the Earlsfort Terrace site placed at the disposal of the State subject to satisfactory terms being agreed. In turn, my preferred option is to utilise this site for the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall. Officials in my Department and the Office of Public Works have met several times with the university authorities to advance negotiations for the acquisition of the site. However, I will not be in a position to bring these negotiations to finality until I have secured Government approval for my plans for the redevelopment of the concert hall, which are currently before the Cabinet.

In the meantime and in anticipation of the availability of the Earlsfort Terrace site to the State in the near future, the OPW commissioned a feasibility study on how best to adapt the site and buildings to accommodate a state-of-the-art concert hall. An imaginative outline proposal to reconfigure the existing building to create a three hall performance space has emerged from this study. The key elements of the proposal are a new concert hall incorporating a main auditorium with a seating capacity for 2,000 patrons and meeting the requirement for open disabled access, the existing auditorium to be preserved for use as a rehearsal, general purpose and technical recording-broadcast space and a flexible smaller hall with a seating capacity of 500, enabling smaller concerts to proceed simultaneously with performances in the main concert hall.

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