W2C-018 City Tribune Galway-0.txt
Theatre: 'We don't have the money' reveal Corpo

BY DECLAN TIERNEY

The delay in proceeding with the construction of a theatre for Galway city is down to the fact that Galway Corporation do not have the funding needed to allow the project go to tender.

Earlier this week Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D. Higgins slammed the corporation for what he described as their lethargic attitude towards providing a theatre - for which £ 1.5 million has been sanctioned by his Department.

But Acting City and County Manager, Joe Gavin said that for the project to go ahead, the local authority had to raise £ 750,000 - that being the difference of what the cost of a theatre would be and the grant allocation from the Government.

"This is money we do not have and until we have these funds available to us, we cannot go ahead with the theatre"." said Mr. Gavin, who added that the appointment of a fund-raiser would be made next month.

Once Government sanction was received by the Corporation last year, it was decided to set up a trust with a view to raising the balance so that the project could go ahead.

Mr. Gavin explained that the Corporation got an architect to give an estimated cost of providing a theatre and this worked out at £ 3 million - as this would be out of the reach of the local authority, they asked that the design be "pruned down"."

The architect then came up with a plan that would cost £ 2.25 million which eliminated a number of aspects to the original design like rehearsal space, a number of offices and also affected the type of finish to the building.

"All this took time and now the Corporation, in co-operation with members of the trust, will be meeting to discuss ways of raising the money required to begin the project. Interviews will also be held for the purpose of appointing a fund-raiser," Mr. Gavin added.

Minister Higgins warned that if the grant allocation was not taken up this year, it would have to be justified all over again when the Government plans its budget for next year - with the possibility that it might not be approved.

Mr. Gavin, however, stressed the Corporation's goodwill towards the project and their anxiety to be in a position to give the go-ahead. "At the moment we are not in a position to build a theatre"," he said.

"Galway Corporation is very supportive of the arts and we are endeavouring to ensure that a theatre is provided in the city. We are now taking the next step as we would like to see the theatre put in place"," Mr. Gavin added.
