Vol. 564 No. 1
204 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the development of the Academy for the Performing Arts; the amount of money spent on the project to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8949/03]
As the Deputy may be aware, in December 1999 the Government approved the establishment of an academy for the performing arts which was to incorporate a headquarters at Dublin City University, a Limerick campus incorporating the Irish World Music Centre at the University of Limerick and an undergraduate professional dance facility based at the Institute for Choreography and Dance at Firkin Crane, County Cork. An interim governing authority was established to oversee the development of the academy in April 2002.
In light of a lack of available capital funding in 2003 to progress the capital elements of the project, the Government has reconsidered its approach to the development of an academy for the performing arts. It has now decided to transfer responsibility for the project to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and has agreed that other options for the development of an Irish academy for the performing arts in tandem with projects of a similar nature will now be considered. In the circumstances, the members of the interim governing authority have been requested to stand down. Some €92,000 has been spent on the project to date.
