Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the passage of the National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015 through the House and I thank all the Senators for their contributions on the Bill. The National Concert Hall is a valued national cultural institution. This has been demonstrated in the debate in this House. It is obvious there is a great deal of respect and, indeed, affection for the work of the National Concert Hall, and I am happy this Bill provides a good framework within which the Hall can operate successfully in both the public and commercial arenas. I thank the chair, the board and the executive of the National Concert Hall for their assistance during the drafting of the Bill which has been very helpful to my Department. I thank the joint committee in particular for its pre-legislative scrutiny. I read the transcript carefully and I found all the information and discussion very useful in preparing the Bill. I thank my colleagues in both the Dáil and the Seanad for their contributions during the passage of the Bill.