Worlds of creation and recreation face belt-tightening

ARTS, SPORT and TOURISM:NEWS THAT capital expenditure at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism is to be reduced by almost half next year will cause more than a little anxiety in the worlds of creation and recreation.

This will apply particularly to those concerned with the building of a new Abbey Theatre at George's Dock in Dublin, redevelopment of the National Concert Hall (NCH) on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, and among those involved in building the new stadium at Lansdowne Road.

According to the estimates, capital expenditure at the department is to be reduced from €271.63 million in 2008 to €145.5 million next year, a cut of over €136 million. On the current side, expenditure is to be reduced from the €422.38 million figure for 2008, to €403.63 million.

A spokeswoman for the Minister said last night that "he will not be commenting on department estimates in advance of budget day". However, the cutbacks will more than likely mean that plans for a new Abbey Theatre will be deferred as will work on redeveloping the NCH.

Funding for the Arts Council is also likely to be well down next year from the €82.1 million it received this year. That represented a € 2 million increase on the figure for 2007, but fell well short of the € 100 million called for by the council.

Questions also arise over funding for the next three years announced recently for the Abbey Theatre. It was announced then that the theatre was to receive €30.2 million over those three years. It seems certain that this will now be revised downwards.

Where Lansdowne Road is concerned, just last July Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism Martin Cullen said he was "happy to confirm that the Government's allocation of € 191 million is capped at that figure, and it is accepted by the two main sporting bodies involved."