Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Those finances are substantial and sound, which is an accepted, acknowledged and audited fact. It is also recognised that the theatre is totally dependent on the State and the Arts Council, but its finances are in order.

Where do we go next? I appreciate the points made by the Minister of State and I agree with him on the system of selecting the best design. I am fearful, however, that in the current climate it could prove to be another disaster for the northside, like metro north, if for some reason the Government decided to pull back from this proposal. This is where we can learn from our past. The Minister of State will, no doubt, be aware that when the current Abbey was being designed by the architect, Michael Scott, there was an approved and agreed design, which unfortunately coincided with a downturn in the economy. Consequently, the plans for the Abbey were changed and it became a compromise. They aimed to make it a theatre and conference centre but it turned out to be a half-way house. It was a very bad design which has eventually had to be changed completely. It is a tribute to the current board that it is now being redesigned with a change in the seat layout so that it is now far more comfortable than it ever was. The lesson to be learned is that, while we made a mistake the last time — to coin a phrase — let us not disgrace ourselves again in this particular case. We should learn from the last time and get it right now. The Minister of State's job, with responsibility for the arts, will be to fight to protect that part of the Government's policy and plans for the future.

Previous speakers referred to new writing and the Abbey does accept such writing. The reason it can never be a commercial theatre like the Gate is precisely because it is a showcase for new talent, including writing which is hard to get staged. That point inadvertently arose in the last speaker's contribution. John B. Keane was kept out of the Abbey until he was a major national figure.