O'Donoghue announces new site for Abbey

Dail report: Minister for Arts John O'Donoghue is to seek formal Government approval for the redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre at Dublin's George's Dock, beside the financial services centre.

Making the announcement in the Dáil during Question Time, Mr O'Donoghue reiterated his view that this "generation of Irish people is amongst the most creative generations we've ever had" and the docklands site "marks an opportunity" to provide a "piece of public architecture which gives expression to that same imagination and creativity".

The Minister did not, however, respond to a remark by Fine Gael's arts spokesman Jimmy Deenihan, who said: "I understand, and the Minister might clarify this, that the offer is more or less free of charge."

Mr Deenihan welcomed the announcement and said the new theatre would be a landmark building. "It will make a statement about our nation and how we progress at this stage of our history. Also it is representative of the most vibrant and exciting part of this city and indeed this country."

He added "it is just 300 metres from O'Connell Street and around the corner from the existing Abbey. And I think it will be an ideal location." Ireland would then have a building "comparable to any theatre in the world".

Mr O'Donoghue will seek formal Government approval once his department gets confirmation from the chair of the board of the Abbey "of the detail of accommodation needs".

After numerous efforts to find a suitable location, the Minister told the Dáil that "options for progressing the project were clearly narrowing".

In the long-running saga to find a new home for the National Theatre, many options were considered, including redevelopment of the existing location, an option which was abandoned because of the difficulty in acquiring adjacent sites.

The former Carlton cinema site on O'Connell Street was also ruled out because of ongoing legal difficulties.

A decision had been made to move to Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square but the Government called off the move when the cost of an adjacent building proved prohibitive.

"Against this background," said Mr O'Donoghue, "I authorised negotiations with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority [ DDDA] in connection with their offer of a site for the theatre on George's Dock."

The OPW entered detailed discussion with the authority. "These consultations have progressed to the point where I am in a position to say that a potentially suitable site at George's Dock capable of satisfying the accommodation needs for the Abbey is now on offer subject to clarification of some points of detail with the DDDA."

Mr Deenihan hoped "it won't be a recurrence of the announcement with Coláiste Mhuire that time, which was unfortunate. But I do recognise that this announcement is very important."

Mr O'Donoghue added that the site, "if it is finally approved, is an appropriate one for what is after all a great national cultural institution".