Abbey Theatre crisis
Asked whether the Abbey Theatre would be brought under the Taoiseach’s Department to address its crisis, the Taoiseach said there was no plan to assume responsibility for it and that it was unrelated to the Irish Theatre Company issue.
It is well documented that the Abbey Theatre consider they are in a crisis situation at the moment. Is the Taoiseach considering removing the Abbey Theatre from the aegis of the Arts Council and taking them directly into his Department in order to resolve that crisis for 1983?
Comment on this
There is no question of my Department wishing to assume anything under their jurisdiction. We intervened as an emergency operation in 1982 and operated solely on the basis that it was a special once-off emergency arrangement for 1982. The situation of the Irish Theatre Company can now be discussed with all concerned. The Abbey Theatre are not involved in any way in this question.