The National Theatre should retain its Abbey Street premises as a headquarters for touring productions, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Heritage and the Irish language has been told.
The call came from Labour TD and former arts minister Mr Michael D. Higgins, who said it was "unfortunate" that arguments about the site of a new or redeveloped theatre had so far overshadowed all other considerations.
Speaking after a presentation to the committee by the Abbey board, Mr Higgins suggested the dilemma of whether the theatre should remain where it was or build a new premises at Grand Canal Dock could be resolved in the context of the huge growth in Irish regional theatres.
"The obvious solution is to build the new theatre and retain the existing site as the headquarters of a touring theatre company," he said. Productions could transfer from there into the main theatre, or on to "the regional circuit".
Rather than confine itself to a choice between a £100 million new building or a £50 million upgrade of the existing site, Mr Higgins added, the board should ask for £150 million and have both: "Why not go for the big picture?"
The Abbey's artistic director, Mr Ben Barnes, welcomed the suggestion, saying the board had "no appetite to see the Abbey turn into a car park".
He had recently visited Milan, where the Piccolo Theatre had built new premises on the outskirts of the city while retaining its original space in the centre, he said: "There's no reason we can't."
Mr Barnes said Dublin currently lacked a dedicated venue to house productions transferring to the capital from Ireland's regional theatres. There was a definite need for such a "receiving house", he said.
Senator Labhras O Murchu (FF) appealed to the board, in whatever decisions it took, to respect the sense of loyalty to place which was as strong in Dublin as elsewhere in the country. For some Dublin people, relocating the Abbey might compare with "moving the Rock of Cashel to Clonmel", he suggested.
But the theatre's chairman, Mr James Hickey, said that throughout the "northside-southside saga," the Abbey's focus had been constant: "What this board wants is the best possible national theatre for Ireland."
Senator Donie Cassidy (FF) appealed to the board not to relocate, saying any move would be a "severe blow" to businesses in the north inner city. When the main Dublin tourism office moved from O'Connell Street to the southside a few years ago, it had been claimed this would make no difference to life in the area, he said: "In fact, there was a 30 per cent drop in business in the museums of Parnell Square the week after."
It defied logic, Mr Cassidy added, for the Abbey to comtemplate a move now at a time of unprecedented funds for redevelopment. "I appeal to you: leave the Abbey where the people of Dublin want it."