Written answers

Thursday, 16 June 2005

Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism

Abbey Theatre

5:00 pm

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received any request from the Abbey Theatre for increased funding following the exceptional losses which the theatre incurred in 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20287/05]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has had any contact with the Abbey Theatre with regard to recent disclosures regarding the financial position of the theatre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20200/05]

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 40 together.

As Minister, I have no statutory responsibility for the Abbey, which is operated by the National Theatre Society Limited, a private company limited by guarantee. My Department and I maintain liaison with the Abbey at various levels, and I have been briefed on recent developments regarding the theatre's finances and financial accounts.

State subvention to the Abbey is provided by the Arts Council, which is a statutory agency under the aegis of my Department, and one that is independent in the disbursement of its funds under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003.

The Abbey is a key part of Ireland's cultural fabric, and it is imperative that it be placed on a sustainable basis for the future. This was the background to the decision of the Arts Council late last year to allocate an additional €2 million to the theatre. The release of this funding was conditional on the implementation by the Abbey of a wide-ranging change management programme as agreed with the council. I understand that good progress is being made on many fronts with the delivery of this programme.

I was very disappointed to hear last month of the shortcomings in the Abbey's financial management system to which the Deputy refers and on which my Department was given a courtesy briefing both by the chair of the board of the Abbey and the Arts Council. That said, I welcome the decision of the board of the theatre to engage independent financial expertise to carry out a root and branch evaluation of the Abbey's finances. I understand that this report should be available by the end of this month and that it will then be discussed with the Arts Council following which appropriate corrective action will be taken.

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