Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress that has been made in relation to the development of the new national theatre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23070/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Progress is ongoing on the new national theatre project. The project is complex and, as the Deputy knows, there is a myriad of technical, procedural and legal factors to be addressed. The successful delivery of this project is a priority for the Department and the Government in the programme for Government and the national development plan.

Arising from the original Government decision, an inter-agency steering committee was set up to oversee the project. This committee is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives of the National Development Finance Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Abbey Theatre and 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 has met more than 20 times. It is overseeing the executive and procedural arrangements for holding the international design competition, which was one of the conditions of the offer of the site by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, and advancing the PPP process. The complex technical documentation for the competition is almost complete and a jury has been appointed.

The Office of Public Works has been 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 iconic and important project. A theatre consultant and acoustic consultant have also been appointed. In accordance with Department of Finance guidelines, a process auditor has been appointed.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am smiling to myself as the Minister has just read out the answer he gave me last March. However, I can go back to well before last March. The former Minister, Deputy John O'Donoghue, announced approval for a design competition for the new Abbey Theatre. The late Deputy Brennan, when he was Minister, announced that a design competition would be held, and in a press conference in October 2007 stated that he expected the whole job to be completed in 2008. Last June the Minister told me a design competition would be announced before the end of the summer and that the details were almost ready. Now, a full year later, the details still have not been announced. The members of the jury were announced in 2007 so I hope they have not been holding their breaths ever since. If preparing the competition, never mind the competition itself, has taken so many years, is there any prospect that the project will ever be completed?

My other question is about the cost to date. The Minister keeps telling me all the people who have been appointed. In March there were 21 meetings of the project team. In addition, technical, legal, insurance and financial advisers and theatre and acoustic consultants have been appointed and site investigation work is planned. How much has been spent, and will it ever come to anything? The last time I asked this question the Minister told me how much had been spent and I would be interested to know what has been spent to date and what commitments have been made for a project that may never get off the blocks.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I would not agree with the Deputy. The project will get off the blocks. It is a PPP project and there is commitment to it. The Deputy may be aware that there have been enormous technical problems with regard to the site and issues have arisen with regard to the type, shape, style and engineering of the building on the site that has been offered. There has been constant reconfiguration and this is at last coming to a conclusion. To date, €183,748 has been spent by my Department on various professional services, including legal, architectural and engineering services, which is not a huge expenditure given the period of time involved and the scale of the project. This and the National Concert Hall are the two major PPP projects from my Department and I have every confidence they will go ahead.

I hope the technical issues will be resolved quickly. They have taken an inordinate amount of time, but this is not unusual in the context of a site such as this and what must be done in terms of public procurement. The people appointed have had a major input, which has slowed down the project. For example, the acoustics experts had a considerable input on the acoustic side, which is why they were brought in, and this gave rise to another round of configuration changes - it does not work as well there, it works better that way, it should be centred on the site but not in that way. These are the general issues that have arisen. I am not a professional acoustic engineer or any type of engineer. I urge those involved to bring the process to a conclusion. However, the key people that will make the final decision want to get it right and they want to have the best possible outcome for the Abbey Theatre.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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What is the nature of the PPP that is envisaged? Will there be a private operator or will it be turned over to the State when completed? When does the Minister expect the project to be completed and when will the State start paying?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It will be a build, finance and maintain project.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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So the State will be paying from the day it is built. When does the Minister expect this?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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To give an honest assessment, it will probably be a four-year project.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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From now?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Yes. I hope that will be possible. From the project's point of view that is a good thing because it gives it an excellent chance of actually proceeding.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I do not understand that.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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If it were to start tomorrow there might be pressure but because the project will not be completed for a few years it is to be hoped we will be well out of our economic difficulties by then.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Is the design being delayed?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Please allow the Minister to move on.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I assure the Deputy that is not the case. It has been more to do with technical problems.