Hopes Government will fund arthouse cinema shortfall

There are fresh hopes that the Government will cover the €1m shortfall in funding for the city’s arthouse cinema, after Arts Minister Heather Humphreys agreed to meet the project backers.

The Minister’s decision to visit the site of the Solas Picture Palace on Lower Merchants Road comes just one week after city councillors unanimously back a proposal to ask the Government to cover a shortfall of €1.125 million to complete the project.

The visit – expected in the next few weeks – has been arranged by Fine Gael TD Brian Walsh, who said the Minister would be discussing the current funding shortfall and proposals to bring the construction to completion.

“The Picture Palace project has been in the pipeline for 10 years and a variety of complexities have caused setbacks and prevented its completion.

“The Government has invested considerable resources in the project and it is appropriate that the Minister would visit the site to appraise the situation and hear proposals for its advancement,” said Deputy Walsh.

During a presentation to city councillors, the Chair of the Solas Picture Palace on Lower Merchants’ Road, Lelia Doolan, said the building is 80% complete.

The group has not been able to commence Phase 2 of the works (including the fit-out of the building), because of a rise in building costs.

The remainder of the works – which would take around 36 to complete – will cost in the region of €2.68m, and the group has €1.45m available to it.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune