Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Abbey Theatre certainly has a responsibility to examine the issues raised by the signatories in their letter. I wrote a letter to the Abbey Theatre on 11 January 2019. I stated that I was pleased to note that the Abbey Theatre had taken the concerns raised very seriously and had extended an invitation to representatives of the signatories to meet and discuss those concerns. I also welcomed the commitment by the Abbey Theatre to engage in dialogue and engagement and stated that I was supportive of their collective endeavours to resolve the matters raised. I asked that a report be submitted to me in a month with an update. I also stated that I looked forward to a mutually satisfactory outcome that will deliver the vision for a national theatre at the heart of Irish society that is artist-led and audience-focused.

I also wrote to the theatre practitioners and told them that I publicly lauded the wealth of talent among them. I continued by stating that while I acknowledged the necessity for the Abbey Theatre, as with all theatres, to have a level of artistic freedom with its programming, I also recognised the necessity for a strong working relationship with theatre practitioners and that is vital for the continued success of theatre in this country.

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