Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 January 2015
146. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if reports have been carried out on the future of the National Concert Hall between 2011 and 2015; if all these reports are public; her views on the recommendation of the reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3998/15]
View answer148. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is satisfied with the current governance of the National Concert Hall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4000/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 148 together.
An independent review, commissioned by the board of the National Concert Hall (NCH), regarding the programming, marketing, financial and operational performance of the NCH was carried out by CHL Consulting Company Ltd in association with IMD Group and completed at the end of 2013. A copy of the report was furnished to my predecessor, following which, in November 2013, he requested the board of the NCH to address the matters arising from the report and prepare an implementation plan, including timelines for the effective delivery of the various elements. As the report was commissioned by the board of the NCH, publication is a matter for it.
My predecessor also commissioned the former Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills to carry out a governance review at NCH, which was completed in July 2014. My Department subsequently referred the report to the Chair of the NCH for consideration. It is also being considered by my Department in the context of the preparation of the legislation to put the NCH on a statutory footing. The report will be made available on my Department's website.
With regard to placing the NCH on a statutory footing, my Department has prepared a general scheme of a Bill, which has been the subject of pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. It is intended that the Bill will provide, inter alia, for a governance framework that will ensure appropriate reporting and accounting to the Minister and the Oireachtas by the NCH. I am satisfied that the board is focused on helping the NCH make the transition from a company to a statutory body, while maintaining the highest standards of musical performance for the enjoyment of the public.
It is my intention to publish the National Concert Hall Bill in the coming weeks.
