Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The grant from our Department was €384,000, which is substantial. I opened the apartments and I got a very positive response from the artists concerned. They now can rent space in the city, whereas previously they had to pay high accommodation costs there. Work space is provided with the apartment, where they can do some of their backup work in their own apartments.

Calls were made in the past to engage with NAMA. There was general engagement, although I am prohibited by legislation from direct engagement. The Abbey Theatre acquired a major property from NAMA, which will now ensure it will have the footprint on which to build a new Abbey when it can afford it. The Lighthouse Cinema also represented a very positive engagement with NAMA as well, and now that cinema is very successful. I am sure there are other examples, but these are two very important examples. NAMA is also involved in Moore Street and I hope that, in time, with the co-operation of Dublin City Council, the owners and NAMA, we can get a satisfactory resolution to ensure we have a proper interpretative centre and monument on the street to honour the people of 1916.

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