Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 10: To ask the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport if a feasibility study for the development of the Abbey Theatre has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36759/10]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Tourism; Culture and Sport the progress on the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre; the current status of the detailed assessment of the feasibility of the General Post Office as the location of the Abbey Theatre; when she expects to publish the assessment of the feasibility of the General Post Office as the location of the Abbey Theatre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36698/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 27 together.

The renewed programme for Government commits us to a detailed assessment of the GPO complex in the context of locating the Abbey Theatre there in time for the centenary of the 1916 Rising. The development of a new national theatre project is a not a simple undertaking. There is a matrix of technical, procedural and legal factors to address in making progress on it. Trying to build a national theatre at the GPO, with all of the history that embraces that building, adds to the complexity and also needs particular sensibilities to history, tradition and the iconography of the GPO.

A feasibility group of the primary stakeholders has been set up. Its membership includes representatives from my Department, the Office of Public Works, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, An Post and the Abbey Theatre. The group has made considerable progress in assessing the GPO complex to ascertain whether it is a feasible location for the redeveloped national theatre. Among the main considerations assessed are the capacity of the GPO to accommodate the brief agreed for the Abbey Theatre; the integration of theatre infrastructure into the street and skyscape; the feasibility from a planning perspective of any redevelopment proposal; the cost of the construction, the nature of the title to the site and the terms and conditions of leases, indentures, mortgages, liens, etc., thereon; and the costs of lease terminations and other commercial and corporate issues for An Post.

A draft report is nearing completion. That draft report will then be circulated to the members of the feasibility group for final input. I anticipate it will be a number of weeks before this process is completed and the final report is ready for submission to me and to the Government.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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I remind Deputy Hanafin that she is the fourth Minister to examine this matter. Consideration was previously given to it by her predecessors, Síle de Valera, Deputy O'Donoghue and Martin Cullen.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Seamus Brennan also gave consideration to it.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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That is correct.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am probably the fifth Minister to be involved with the project.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Various sites were mentioned in connection with the possible relocation of the Abbey, including Grand Canal Docks, George's Dock, the Carlton Hotel, Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell St., Hawkins House, etc. It was also suggested that the existing theatre could be refurbished and extended by means of the purchase of some of the surrounding buildings. Relocating the Abbey to the GPO is the latest suggestion. I appeal to the Minister to, if nothing else, reach a decision on whether the theatre should be relocated. It is important that this should be done because the speculation that is taking place is not helping anybody. Is the Minister in a position to provide a timeframe with regard to when the feasibility study is likely to be completed? How much money has been spent on the study to date?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The difficulty with this project is that it does not merely involve a simple question as to whether it is feasible to relocate the Abbey Theatre to the GPO building. If we receive a report which indicates that it is feasible to do so, the next question we must contemplate is whether we wish to proceed. I would welcome the views of other Members in respect of that matter. We want to find the best possible location for the Abbey Theatre. This must be a city centre location and, therefore, the GPO is an option. On the other hand, the GPO was a post office in 1916 and there is a great deal to be said for retaining it as such for the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising in 2016.

On culture night I was struck by the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who visited the GPO to view the historical exhibits. There is a real sense of the place of that building in the history of the nation and I do not want anything to subtract from that. I am not stating that relocating the Abbey Theatre to the GPO would do so but we must certainly consider that aspect of the matter. There are historical, political and cultural elements which must be taken into account and these must be placed over and above the results of a study which might indicate that the theatre will fit in the GPO. Until I know whether it will fit and until I am fully briefed on all of the planning and legal issues involved, it will not be possible to make a decision. I would genuinely like to hear, either on a confidential basis or otherwise, the views of other Members in respect of where they believe the theatre should be located. This matter is not about me or my Department - it relates to one of the most iconic and significant buildings in the country.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Let us be under no illusions. Relocating the Abbey Theatre would cost a significant amount of money. However, if this is the correct thing to do - obviously any move would have to be considered in the context of the state of the public finances - then we should proceed. I am of the view that this issue is much larger than mere planning or logistics considerations. We cannot consider the big question until we know whether a relocation to the GPO would be possible. There would be no point in engaging in a political, cultural or historical debate in respect of the future of the GPO and deciding the relocation of the Abbey Theatre there should proceed, only to discover that such a relocation would not be possible.

I accept that the expenditure of money is a significant issue at present. However, it is worth spending money in order to establish what the future might hold for the Abbey Theatre. The closer we come to 2016, the more conscious people are becoming not only of our future but also of our past. People want to preserve the best parts of our history. One of the best ways of reminding people - in a physical sense and not just in the context of the ideals of those who rose up in 1916 - of our past is to highlight the part played in it by the GPO.

There are those who will state that we should implement the ideals espoused in the 1916 Proclamation and we can, of course, do so. However, it must be noted that the GPO is a symbol of idealism and republicanism and we do not want to do anything which would detract from this. Having said that, the relocation of the Abbey Theatre to the GPO might contribute to rather than subtract from the symbolism relating to the site.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister indicate the cost of the feasibility study to date? Is she in a position to indicate the amount of money that has been spent on feasibility studies since her predecessor, Síle de Valera, first examined the possibility of relocating the theatre to the Grand Canal Docks area?

A large range of artefacts and exhibits are currently stored - they are not on show - in Collins Barracks. I am sure these could be exhibited in the GPO. It would be interesting to discover whether it would be possible to put on such an exhibition if the Abbey Theatre were relocated to the building. I ask the Minister to give consideration to this matter.

The GPO is an iconic building. There are two iconic figures in this country who appear to have different views on the relocation of the Abbey Theatre. The first is Senator Norris, who wants the theatre to be relocated to the GPO, and the second is the great Ulick O'Connor, who is very much opposed to moving it from its current location. Which of these individuals is influencing the Minister's thinking at this stage?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It would ill become me to come between Ulick O'Connor and Senator Norris. To date, €393,509.62 has been paid out by the Department in respect of the design, engineering, architectural, financial and legal fees relating to the new Abbey Theatre project. The majority of this expenditure is project as opposed to site specific. Irrespective of what development takes place in respect of the Abbey - and regardless of where it occurs - much of the money relating to the study can be carried on and will not be lost.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Upton almost contradicted herself. We are awaiting the results of the feasibility study because we want to discover whether the relocation might be possible. There are issues which arise in the context of size and scale. There is also the fact that approximately 25 retail units are located in the GPO and these all have commercial leases. All of these issues would require to be resolved. In the knowledge that such a resolution might be possible, it then would be possible to engage in a political, social, cultural and historical debate in respect of the matter. I anticipate that the feasibility study will be completed and sent to me shortly.