Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 June 2018
45. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding she plans to set aside under her Department's capital plan to facilitate the future relocation of one of the RTÉ orchestras to the National Concert Hall as proposed under the Boaden report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26713/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Symphony Orchestra has been based in the National Concert Hall since it opened its doors in 1981 and has provided the backbone of its classical musical programme since then.
Under Project Ireland 2040 the Government has committed €78m for the refurbishment of the National Concert Hall. This will include the refurbishment and extension of the main auditorium, the re-organisation of public facilities and the refurbishment of the former Medical Library to serve as the RTE National Symphony Orchestra Rehearsal Studio. This will ensure that the Orchestra is housed in fit-for-purpose accommodation in the future.
The Boaden Report made a number of recommendations including the following:
- the RTE National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) should be a national cultural institution in its own right or within the National Concert Hall;
- the RTE Concert Orchestra (CO) should continue to be part of RTE, functioning as a classic "radio" or Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) orchestra, on the model of many such orchestras worldwide;
- while operating independently, the RTE NSO should continue to co-ordinate activities with the RTE CO to ensure the two work on a complementary basis; and
- both orchestras should be returned to historical levels of staffing and activities.
I have welcomed the report's recommendations, together with my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and we will be reporting to Government shortly on the proposed next steps.
