The new Abbey Theatre is unlikely to be built at the existing location because of costs and the difficulties in acquiring adjoining sites, the Dáil has been told.
The Minister for Arts, Mr O'Donoghue, said the current site "has not been ruled out, but it is beginning to look more difficult". He told the Dáil: "Quite honestly I am coming to the conclusion that because of problems of cost and acquisition, it may not now be possible for us to proceed with the construction of the new Abbey Theatre at its present location."
Mr O'Donoghue said that to be a national theatre for the 21st century and stay in its current location, the Abbey would have to acquire those adjacent properties. "Indications are that such acquisitions will prove very costly and problematic in timescale."
However, opinions had to be finalised on the existing location and on the possibility of acquiring additional properties, and the Minister would bring no recommendations to Government "until we have come to a decision on that."
Fine Gael's arts spokesman, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, appealed to the Minister to "avoid a repetition of the national stadium saga. It was not the Minister's fault but that saga went on for four or five years and it is important that that does not occur this time."
Mr O'Donoghue said that "we should reach a conclusion relatively soon, but I remind the deputy that I am only in this position for 18 months. We have a stadium ... now we are getting culture."
Mr Deenihan asked if the Minister was actively looking at other sites in the city. "The Carlton cinema has been mentioned and that site would be part of the regeneration of the centre of Dublin," he said.
"The Custom House is now unoccupied. Could that be considered? Will the Minister go back to the original site at Grand Canal Quay? That was the original choice of the (Abbey) board in 2001 but for political reasons it was thwarted."
He said the Abbey "is as much a state of mind and ideas as a geographic footprint" and he had no hang-ups about the theatre moving to a new location if the current Abbey could not be expanded.
Mr O'Donoghue replied that "the ghost of Lady Gregory is not likely to be seen at a new location, if that is what Deputy Deenihan is suggesting."
The Minister said that they had not yet begun actively looking at alternative sites because the OPW was looking at the options for the properties which would be required for a "larger footprint" at the present location.
