Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if the international design competition for the proposed new national theatre announced by him on 7 September 2006 has been completed; if a winning design has been selected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5956/07]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Last autumn, the Government decided to proceed with the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at George's Dock on a build, finance, and maintain, BFM, basis. At the same time, I announced the holding of an international design competition for the new Abbey Theatre, details of which have yet to be published. The OPW is currently working on the detailed technical specifications for the competition and these will be available to interested parties when finalised and the competition has been formally published. A competition of this nature is a complex one and takes time to perfect. An added complexity to be addressed is the handover of the winning design to the winning public-private partnership, PPP. This must also be addressed in the competition documentation.

A jury is being set up to select the winning design. The jury will comprise representatives from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the OPW, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the Arts Council and the Abbey Theatre. When a winning design has been selected the building will be procured by means of a build, finance and maintain public private partnership. A construction phase of approximately 18 months is envisaged once the PPP contract has been signed.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The impression was given on 6 September last that this competition would commence immediately. When will the competition commence? How long will it take and when will the successful designer be announced? This saga has been ongoing for the past ten years. The national theatre is operating in antiquated conditions which is not fair to the performers, artistic directors or patrons. It is time this saga was brought to a close. Also, when does he expect work will commence on the new theatre and does he have a completion date in that regard?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I have given Deputy Deenihan an outline of what I consider to be the timeframe involved. It is impossible for me to state how long the public private partnership will take. The PPP contract is complex, as we learned during the development of proposals for the National Conference Centre. It is a lengthy and complex method of procurement.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Can the Minister give any indication——

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The OPW is working on a detailed technical specification for the competition in regard to the Abbey Theatre. Obviously, all of this documentation will be made available to interested parties when finalised and the competition has been formally published. It is not possible for me to say at this point when exactly the new designer will be selected. I had hoped that we would be in a position to present the new design this summer. I remain hopeful that will be the case. We will then be required to move on to the PPP stage following which all relevant financial proposals will have to be examined. Only then can the contract for construction of the theatre be placed. As I stated earlier, it is envisaged that once that process is finalised, construction should be completed within approximately 18 months. That is as accurate as I can be on this.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is being very ambitious in terms of presenting the new design this summer given the competition has not yet been announced. When exactly will it be announced? Can he give a timeframe for commencement and completion of the project? Will this saga continue for another ten years? I remind the Minister that the Cliffs of Moher project was in the pipeline for some 17 years. We must ensure this project which has been ongoing for ten years does not continue for that long.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The idea for the Cliffs of Moher project may have been thought of 17 years ago but it was presented to me only in the context of the tourism product development scheme in the past couple of years.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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I am seeking information in regard to the Abbey Theatre.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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Funding of €10.5 million was sanctioned for that project. Despite only a couple of years passing since the project was first discussed with Clare County Council, the project is now in place. That is pretty good going by any standards.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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What about the Abbey Theatre?

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I have given as good an outline of the timeframe as I can. There is no point in explaining the matter further.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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Question No. 5 cannot be taken as Deputy Ferris is not present.