Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the National Concert Hall redevelopment project; when this will be completed; if the funding for this programme is guaranteed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33779/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has decided to redevelop the National Concert Hall. The primary objective of the project is to provide three performance auditoria in a single complex, offering capacity for about 2,050 seats in a newly built Main Hall; the existing hall of just over a 1,000 seats as a mid size performance space; and a smaller more flexible hall of 400 seats, respectively and the related public and management spaces associated with a concert hall complex developed to the highest international acoustic and architectural standards. 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 artists at reasonable ticket prices, and will meet the requirement for universal access. It is envisaged that the Earlsfort Terrace buildings will 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.

Work is advancing well on the project. The redeveloped National Concert Hall will be procured through a Design / Build / Finance / Maintain PPP contract. In accordance with those procedures the Official notification of the tender was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29th May 2008 with a closing date of the 7th of July. In early September three applicant consortia were shortlisted and invited to participate in the competitive dialogue process. This dialogue commenced on the 23rd of September 2008.

It is intended to close the dialogue process and invite the participants to submit tenders by end June 2009. The successful tenderer should be selected by Autumn 2009.

Within the Cultural sub-programme of the National Development Plan 2007-2013, provision has been made for the National Concert Hall redevelopment project. The tenders received will determine the cost of the project.

I look forward to this project progressing speedily 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.