Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the progress on the redevelopment of the National Theatre on Abbey Street; the estimated cost of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4773/08]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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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 a number of times and is due to meet again on 21st February. 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 finalising the process of drafting the competition regulations. The technical documentation for the competition must be very carefully specified, in particular the detailed accommodation brief for the new theatre, work on which is now nearing completion.

A jury was appointed late last year 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 before the autumn of 2008. In the meantime, OPW are working on preliminary drafting of output specifications and continue to liaise with the NDFA. Technical, legal, insurance and financial advisors have been appointed by the NDFA, a theatre consultant is about to be appointed and work is continuing on the appointment of acoustic consultants, with a view to progressing the project as much as possible while the design competition is being held. 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. Because of the nature of the PPP procurement process it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any estimated cost of the project at this stage.