Written answers

Tuesday, 25 April 2006

Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism

National Concert Hall

9:00 pm

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the details of the rollout of the proposed new National Concert Hall; the aspects of the existing building which will be retained; the way in which increased access to the Iveagh Gardens will be promoted via St. Stephen's Green; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15179/06]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the development of the National Concert Hall; when he will be in a position to make a recommendation to Government on the options for the delivery of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15143/06]

Photo of John O'DonoghueJohn O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 86 together.

The Government on 12 April 2006 approved the acquisition this year of the Earlsfort Terrace site from the UCD authorities as the preferred location for the new National Concert Hall. Arrangements for the transfer of ownership of the site from UCD to the State are now in train.

The Government has also decided that the new National Concert Hall will be procured as a public private partnership on a design, build, finance and maintain basis, subject to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Minister for Finance being satisfied with the outcome of an evaluation of the economic benefits of the project which I will be commissioning over the coming weeks.

It was also decided that the construction contract should be structured so as to optimise construction and cost efficiencies. This will speed up considerably the procurement of the new concert hall. It had previously been envisaged that the project would be undertaken on a phased basis.

The key elements of the outline development plan are: a new concert hall incorporating a main auditorium with a seating capacity for 2,000 patrons and meeting the requirement for open disabled access; the existing auditorium to be preserved for use as a rehearsal, general purpose and technical recording-broadcast space; a flexible smaller hall with a seating capacity of 500, enabling smaller concerts to proceed simultaneously with performances in the main concert hall; easy access for large articulated trucks transporting orchestral and concert equipment; and the Earlsfort Terrace buildings would be reunited with the Iveagh Gardens facilitating increased public access. New public rooms, cafes and restaurants would overlook the gardens and the city.

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