Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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288. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the planned transition of the National Symphony Orchestra to the National Concert Hall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29143/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Following the publication of the report by RTÉ that it commissioned from independent consultants Helen Boaden and Mediatique on the RTÉ Orchestras entitled RTÉ Orchestras Ensuring a Sustainable Future, the Government  agreed in principle that the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (RTÉ NSO) should come within the remit of the National Concert Hall (NCH). The Government  also authorised the initiation of discussions on the implementation of the recommendations of the report. 

The overall aim  of the Government decision in relation to the proposed transfer of the RTÉ NSO is to enable the orchestra to be established as a world class orchestra which would, with the NCH, provide a creative and imaginative programme strategy that would greatly enhance the offering of the combined organisation to the public.

As part of Budget 2021 an allocation of €8m has been made to the National Concert Hall to allow for the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ. 

An Oversight Group has been established with a view to identifying and addressing the relevant issues to enable the successful transfer of the NSO from the remit of RTÉ to the remit of the NCH. The group has met on several occasions over the last number of years.  In addition, a Working Group, as a subset of the oversight group, has being examining the detailed issues involved in the proposed transfer of the orchestra.

A number of issues are currently being finalised and it is hoped that the transfer of the orchestra can be completed as early as possible in 2021.