Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he will report on the development of the new Abbey Theatre; if it is possible to give this project added momentum in order to bring it to completion as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25623/07]

Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress on the planned new national theatre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25597/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 55 together.

It is of paramount importance that all necessary steps are taken to ensure that a project of this significance and complexity be properly organized and managed. In 2006 the Government decided to proceed with the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at George's Dock on a Build, Finance and Maintain (BFM) basis. Arising from the Government decision, an Interagency Steering Committee was set up to oversee this project. The Committee is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives of the National Development Finance Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Abbey Theatre and the Dublin Docklands Development Agency.

The Steering Group has met six times and is due to meet again on 13th December. At its first meeting in December 2006 the Committee decided, inter alia, that the Office of Public Works should prepare the documentation necessary for holding an international design competition for the new Abbey Theatre.

A Project Team, chaired by the Office of Public Works and representative of the same agencies as the Steering Group has also been set up and is currently overseeing the arrangements for holding the international design competition. The OPW has asked the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) to organise the competition. The RIAI, with the assistance of the OPW and input from all key stakeholders is in the process of drafting the competition regulations. The technical documentation for the competition must be very carefully specified.

A jury was appointed last week to select the winning design. The jury has representatives from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, the OPW, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, the Arts Council and the Abbey. It also includes international figures in the architectural and theatre worlds. It is expected that the design competition will be completed by the middle of 2008.

Discussions are currently ongoing in relation to the detailed accommodation brief for the new theatre. In the meantime, OPW are working on preliminary drafting of output specifications and liaising with the NDFA on assembling technical advisory teams, including theatre consultants and acoustic consultants, with a view to progressing the project as much as possible while the design competition is being held. The National Development Finance Agency has recently appointed legal advisers and financial advisers arising from a market exercise. A Process Auditor has also been appointed, in accordance with Department of Finance Guidelines.

When a winning design has been chosen, the National Development Finance Agency will oversee the PPP procurement process, in accordance with PPP guidelines.