Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the position regarding the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19323/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The National Concert Hall, within its limited space at Earlsfort Terrace, is highly energetic and operates with a strong commercial market focus. Seat occupancy consistently exceeds 80% with patrons being turned away from many "house full" events.

The Government has decided to redevelop the Concert Hall which will incorporate a main auditorium with a seating capacity for 2,000 patrons, the existing auditorium, which will be retained as a rehearsal hall and a mid-scale public performance space, and a smaller flexible hall. This three-hall configuration will enable the National Concert Hall to provide for public demand including the staging of key performances by top-class world artistes at reasonable ticket prices.

The redeveloped Concert Hall will meet the requirement for universal access. Furthermore, the proposal incorporates easy access for large articulated trucks transporting orchestral and concert equipment. It is envisaged that the Earlsfort Terrace buildings would be re-united with the Iveagh Gardens, facilitating increased public access and new public rooms, cafes and restaurants would over-look the Gardens and the city.

Contracts for the purchase of the interest of University College Dublin in the Earlsfort Terrace site were executed on 20 September, 2006. University College Dublin has already transferred some of its personnel and functions to Belfield and will decant from the remainder in 2007. A lease back arrangement has been put in place by OPW with the college until late 2007, by which time the college will have fully vacated the premises.

In accordance with the decision of the Government, the redeveloped National Concert Hall will be a Design Build Finance Maintain type Public Private Partnership project. It is being overseen by an Interagency Steering Committee, which is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. This committee includes the Chairman of the Office of Public Works, the Chairman of the Board of the National Concert Hall, the Manager of Dublin City Council, a representative of the National Development Finance Agency, and the Assistant Secretary of my Department with responsibility for the Arts and Culture brief. The Director of the National Concert Hall also attends the meetings of the Steering Committee. My Department provides the Secretariat to the Committee.

The task of the Interagency Steering Committee, in general terms, is to oversee the procurement, negotiation and construction phases of the design/build/finance/maintain PPP for the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall, in compliance with relevant Department of Finance Guidelines and in adherence to the terms of the Government Decisions germane to the project, and to realise the vision set for the project. A Project Committee has been established to progress the detailed work. The accommodation brief for the redeveloped National Concert Hall has been approved by the Steering Committee. The Process Auditor and legal advisors have been engaged. The procedures required to engage financial and technical expertise to carry this project forward are under way at present. These advisors will play an important role in carrying out the very extensive work which has to be completed prior to the seeking of tenders for the PPP project.

I look forward to this project progressing speedily and officially through the PPP process so that Dublin will have a Concert Hall which will be on a par with leading concert halls in capital cities throughout Europe and which will enable the current and expanding market demand for musical entertainment to be met.