Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 5, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“ “national venue” means the area occupied by the National Concert Hall at Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin and such additional or alternative venues as the National Concert Hall, with the agreement of the Minister, may determine from time to time;”.

The Minister and I engaged on this issue on Committee Stage and she understands what I am about. As I indicated on Second Stage, I am concerned that the Bill lacks vision and ambition for the NCH. If we believe the NCH is for all the people of Ireland, why is the Bill restricting it to a single national venue at Earlsfort Terrace? There is a compelling argument that, at some stage in the future, the NCH should be permitted to operate a number of venues, not just one in Dublin. The proposed amendment recognises the current home of the NCH, provides for alternative sites should they be required in future and, critically, allows for additional venues, be they on the western seaboard or in Cork, Limerick or Monaghan, where the Minister would welcome it.

Our experience from our direct engagement with the NCH is that it has strong sense of its purpose and a commitment to reaching out. One could not but be impressed by the work it is doing with the children’s hospitals. Why, therefore, would the Bill cut off the opportunity for the NCH to expand by identifying a venue somewhere else that could be an adjunct to what it does in Earlsfort Terrace? Although it may never want to do so, why would we not allow for the possibility? Given the manner in which the Government has trumpeted the success of the Limerick City of Culture initiative, some future city of culture might emerge. A particular venue could be developed and provide the platform that the NCH provides here in Dublin. If such a venue could augment the work of the NCH, why not allow for the possibility in the legislation?

See this speech in context