Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the status of the National Concert Hall redevelopment plan; if it is intended to go ahead with this on a public private partnership basis; the amount of money that will be required from the Exchequer; the amount that has been guaranteed; when he expects construction to begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2482/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to confirm that the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall is going ahead. It will be a Design/Build/ Finance/Maintain PPP project, as decided by the Government. The tenders received will determine the cost of the project. Payments by the State will be in the form of monthly unitary payments over a twenty-five year period. These unitary payments will not commence until the first phase of the project is completed, which is expected to take place in 2012.

The primary objective of the project is to provide three performance auditoria in a single complex, offering a newly built Main Hall with a seating capacity of about 2,050 seats; the refurbishment of 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 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.

The official notification of the tender was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 29th May 2008. Three shortlisted applicant consortia are participating in the competitive dialogue process at present. It is intended to invite these participants to submit tenders by end June 2009. The successful tenderer should be selected by Autumn 2009 and will then apply for planning permission for his project proposal. I look forward to placing a contract for this project as soon as the successful tenderer receives the necessary Planning Permission, with a view to the commencement of construction early in 2010.