Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress on the provision of a new building for the National Theatre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24543/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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In 2006 the Government decided to proceed with the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre by way of a public private partnership on a site at George's Dock, on a build, finance and maintain basis. This site was chosen following an extensive search exercise conducted by the Office of Public Works.

Arising from the Government decision, an inter-agency steering committee was established to oversee the project. The committee is chaired by the Department and comprises representatives of the National Development Finance Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Abbey Theatre and Dublin Docklands Development Authority. At its first meeting the steering group decided, inter alia, that the Office of Public Works should prepare the documentation necessary for holding an international design competition for the new Abbey Theatre. An international design competition was one of the conditions of the offer of the site by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

A project team, chaired by the Office of Public Works and comprising representatives of the same agencies as the steering group, has also been established and is overseeing the executive and procedural arrangements for holding the international design competition and advancing the PPP process. The Office of Public Works has asked the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland to organise the competition. The competition regulations are nearing finalisation. The technical documentation for the competition must be very carefully specified, in particular the detailed technical and accommodation brief for the new theatre. Work on this is nearing completion.

A jury for the international design competition was appointed late last year. In the meantime, the Office of Public Works is also working on drafting output specifications in collaboration with the Department, the Abbey Theatre and the National Development Finance Agency. Technical, legal, insurance and financial advisers have been appointed to guide and advise the inter-agency teams in the procurement of this epochal and crucial project. A theatre consultant and acoustic consultant have also been appointed. Furthermore, a process auditor is in place in accordance with Department of Finance guidelines.

The project is complex and there is a myriad of technical, procedural and legal factors to address in making progress on it. The successful delivery of this project is a priority for the Government in the programme for Government and the national development plan. When a winning design has been chosen, the National Development Finance Agency will oversee the PPP procurement process in accordance with PPP guidelines. I am confident that when the international design competition is complete we will have a world-class design for a new iconic landmark building for the city and the new quayside theatre will be a dynamic structure reflecting Dublin's growing reputation as a global capital of culture and creativity. The market is well aware that this project is on the way and the international competition for the design of the theatre should get under way formally before the summer is over.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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This is one of those sagas that highlights the difficulty the Government has in driving any major project to completion. It was in the programme for Government in 2002 to celebrate the centenary of the Abbey Theatre in 2004. In 2006 the Ceann Comhairle, who was then Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, approved the design competition. More than a year later the then Minister, Deputy Brennan, announced that he had selected the design team. Another year later we now hear that we have only reached the stage where the regulations for the design competition are nearing completion. If the design competition regulations have taken this long, how long will the design competition take? How long will the design take? Will this project happen in our lifetime? What timescale does the Minister envisage for the building of the theatre? The crucial issue is that this was designed to be provided by means of a PPP.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I remind the Deputy that we have limited time for Priority Questions.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I realise we are running out of time. The Minister spent a long time saying nothing to me. A PPP may no longer be a realistic proposition. As he rightly said, it is a complex specialised building. Is it realistic that the Government will find a partner to provide a theatre on this site or will we need to find another method of funding? Will the whole project go back to the drawing board? I ask the Minister to give us a definite date. It is ludicrous that we have only reached the stage where the regulations for the design competition are nearing completion.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I have been involved in a range of these projects and they are not as simple as the Deputy suggests. In the conclusion of my remarks I said the market is well aware this project is on the way and the international competition for the design of the theatre should get under way formally before the summer is over. As the Deputy knows, we have just successfully launched the total rebuild of the National Concert Hall, which is a major project, more or less equivalent in scale to this one. That is also a PPP and it has finally got off the mark. There are issues between those trying to make the property work on the site and do the technical specification. Some changes were made on that which reconfigured the building. These things happen when one is trying to get to the stage where one can go formally to the market. One has to have the technical specification correct. The design will be done through an international design competition, so the OPW and Department are not designing the building.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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That is my point. They are not designing the building, only a competition.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy would know that to go to the market, one has to be very specific on the parameters and technical specification for the project. All the key people, down to the experts on acoustics required for a theatre of this magnitude, are already on board. They are finalising all that technical work and it should go to the market this summer. I am anxious to see this project proceed. I was pleased to get the National Concert Hall under way very quickly. That has happened and the next big project to get under way is the Abbey.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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We must move on.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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By when do the designs have to be submitted?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have that information here but given the scale of the project, if we get to the market before summer, I would imagine a six-month timeframe.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is allowing six months to design the building while the Department got two years to design the competition.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I would say it will certainly take that amount of time.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I see no opening night in sight.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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One does not design a €200 million project on the back of a postage stamp. It is a huge project.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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That is precisely my point. The Minister is giving them six months while his Department had more than two years.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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We must move on to Question No. 65.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am answering the Deputy from experience that it will be at least six months. It may be more than that. I will come back to her when that timeframe has been decided. I am not deciding the timeframe as it is being done by those involved in the project management from the OPW and the National Development Finance Agency.