Abbey Theatre to move from existing site

Rebuilding the Abbey Theatre on its current site would have cost €50 million, according to the Minister for the Arts.

Mr O'Donoghue, who has ruled out the existing site and the former Carlton cinema for the redeveloped National Theatre, declined to name the locations currently being considered, "for reasons of commercial sensitivity".

He was still "relatively confident", however, that he could announce the chosen location during the centenary year. "I hope to come to the Government very shortly with a recommendation and I sincerely hope it will be in a position to adhere to that recommendation and that we can then announce the site for the new National Theatre."

Fine Gael's arts spokesman Mr Jimmy Deenihan, who raised the issue during arts, sport and tourism questions, said it was only 60 days to the end of the Abbey's centenary year.

"In view of the urgency of this announcement, is the Minister confident the OPW can come up with a favourable proposal within that time frame?"

Mr O'Donoghue said he was "relatively confident" the OPW would be in a position to positively identify the preferred site. Plans to redevelop the theatre on the existing Abbey Street site were abandoned because of the legal difficulties and costs involved in acquiring adjacent sites to extend the theatre to an optimum size. The OPW had advised that it would cost about €50 million to "acquire a sufficient footprint on the present site of the Abbey Theatre".

The former Carlton cinema on O'Connell Street at one stage looked like the best option for the redeveloped theatre, but legal proceedings over a compulsory purchase order by Dublin City Council have apparently ruled it out.

When Mr Deenihan asked if the current Abbey site had been valued to "use it as collateral for the purchase of a new site", the Minister replied that the issue did not arise if, as planned, the scheme was a public/private partnership. No decision has been made about the possible sale of the Abbey Street site if the theatre is relocated.