Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

In view of the shock to the Minister's system yesterday, I want to go easy on him today. The truth is that this design competition has been in gestation for years. It is not as if the Minister is designing the building as it is only the guidelines of a competition for somebody to design the building. It is incredible that it could possibly take this long.

How much has been spent so far on the various consultants? The Minister has provided lists of various consultants who have been appointed to prepare for the design competition. Is the intention to proceed with the new Abbey with all speed or has this been put on the long finger indefinitely? If it is intended to proceed, will it be in the way originally envisaged, in that it would be designed, financed and maintained by way of PPP? Is it realistic to expect that somebody will come in and build such a project in this uncertain climate? That question stands over all PPPs.

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