PLANNING permission is likely to be granted by Dublin Corporation for a major extension of the National Gallery.
The extension is expected to cost between £6 million and £7 million and will house three new levels of paintings, an auditorium, a restaurant and a mezzanine for major lectures.
The cost of the project is being met by funds from the gallery's fundraising committee which is headed by the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, and by an EU grant.
The proposed extension will measure about 7,000 sq metres and include a garden on the roof of the buildings.
Building of the extension means that No 5 Leinster Street South, not a listed building, will have to be demolished. Existing stores, toilets and other ancillary buildings at the rear of the existing National Gallery building will also have to be demolished.
The main reason for the extension, according to the National Gallery, is that the existing building cannot handle large numbers of people or display all paintings adequately. It is expected that building will be completed by 2000.
At this week's meeting of the Dublin City Council's Planning sub committee, a unanimous recommendation for the extension was passed. Final planning permission is expected to be given next month by Dublin Corporation. The application was submitted four weeks ago.
The extension will hold "major public exhibitions" and will connect with the existing building. It will possibly be finished in granite and the old entrance will be used only for large school tours. Other members of the public will use the new entrance on Clare Street.
Mr John Martin, of Dublin Corporation's planning department, said the extension would be a "major millennium project", which would put Dublin on the cultural map.
A presentation last Tuesday to councillors was received very positively. Cllr Eoin Ryan (FF) said the plan would "be a major plus for the city", although he expressed "worry about the cladding at the front of the building".
Cllr Carmencita Hederman (Independent) said the proposed extension "seemed to be very well designed". Cllr Ciaran Cuffe (Green Party) said the extension was "an example of a good modern building". He regretted that some older buildings would have to be demolished.
A corporation spokesman said he was unaware of any objections to the extension.
Representatives from the National Gallery are expected to meet the architecture firm, Benson and Forsyth from London, in the next few weeks to finalise small details. It won the contract to design the extension a year ago after an international competition.