The Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue has said he would prefer to see the new Abbey Theatre built on a new site in the city centre.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Mr O'Donoghue said redeveloping the current site of the National Theatre would be "problematic, time consuming and expensive". He said a new site in the city centre would be his preference, rather than a green field site near the Docklands.
In response to several questions from Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, on the proposed site for the new National Theatre, Mr O'Donoghue said the old Carlton Cinema site on O'Connell Street was one option. However, the future of that site is subject to a High Court case.
He said a site in that area would greatly aid the redevelopment and rejuvenation of O'Connell Street.
"This [new National Theatre] presents an opportunity for an architectural expression or signature which would add to the O'Connell Street rejuvenation," Mr O'Donoghue told Mr Kenny.
On the issue of the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road as a National Stadium, the Minister said it was important that none of Ireland's international home games were played outside the country during the reconstruction.
He told the Dail the redevelopment would take approximately 29 months and would commence in July 2006 and completed sometime in 2008.