THE Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Patrick Mason, last week expressed his satisfaction that a "new agreement" on funding for the National Theatre had been endorsed by the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. He added that he understood it would be endorsed soon by the Arts Council.

This particular New Deal would involve the National Theatre continuing to be funded by the Arts Council, but on the basis of a tripartite agreement between the Council, the Department and the Abbey on its role as the National Theatre, he said: "The difference is that while the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht saw us as a national institution, the Arts Council didn't. Now they do."

The Arts Council's press officer, Mary Hyland, stressed this week that the Council is still in the middle of tripartite discussions, and that no agreement had yet been reached: "It would hi premature to make any comment," she said. Our attempts to elicit confirmation of the endorsement from the Department Of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht have been met with silence.