The Abbey Theatre will not be rebuilt at its current location according to the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Mr John O'Donoghue.
Speaking in the Dail today, the Minister said it would not be feasible to redevelop the theatre at its current site.
"Redevelopment of the Abbey Theatre where it now stands would be problematic as it would necessitate a much larger footprint than was currently available and for which the acquisition of adjacent properties would be required. As this would likely have been both costly and time-consuming, I reluctantly decided that we had to look elsewhere," Mr O'Donoghue said.
The Minister told Fine Gael's Mr Jimmy Deenihan that he had ruled out using the Carlton Cinema site on O'Connell Street. He said that while it had been an option the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the site might not be resolved for some time.
"I have now asked OPW to look urgently at other options and to advise me as to their feasibility. For reasons of commercial sensitivity I would prefer not to identify the locations currently under consideration," the minister said.
He also added he was determined to secure a Government decision on the future of the Abbey Theatre before the ends of the year.
