Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the development of the national conference centre; if he is in a position to appoint a preferred tenderer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15144/06]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if agreement has been reached with a company (details supplied) to provide the new conference centre at Spencer Dock; the timescale for the development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15155/06]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together.

The House will be aware that last November Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium was, with the approval of the Government, designated as the provisional preferred tenderer for the provision of a national conference centre in Dublin.

In accordance with the competition process, the contracting authority, the Office of Public Works, proceeded to engage with the provisional preferred tenderer to negotiate, settle and agree any required amendments to the project agreement. These detailed and complex negotiations are, by their nature, time consuming but, I understand, the contracting authority is pressing to have them concluded as soon as possible. Assuming that these negotiations prove successful, the next step will be the appointment of the provisional preferred tenderer as preferred tenderer. During the preferred tenderer phase, the preferred tenderer will develop and provide the full range of project documents, which will require review and approval by the contracting authority. I look forward to the timely completion of the next stages and hope to be in a position to bring the matter to Government for final decision in the coming months. Subject to the successful completion of the remaining stages of the procurement process and assuming no unexpected developments, I would hope that construction of the NCC would begin next year and that the centre would be operational during 2009.