Social welfare to be fast-tracked for Opera House staff

ARRANGEMENTS are being made to fast-track social welfare payments for staff of Cork Opera House, who will be temporarily laid off next month.

SIPTU officials who represent most of the theatre’s permanent staff met the theatre’s management team yesterday to discuss the temporary three-month closure of the venue from July 4 to September 29, which was announced at the weekend.

Key staff will be retained during that period to help the management team work on a new business plan to put the venue on a sound financial footing.

But they were told that special arrangements are in place to ensure there will be no delay in the issuing of social welfare payments to the remainder of staff who will be laid off.

SIPTU official Paul Depuis said: “We recognise the importance of Cork Opera House itself, not just to the staff but to the citizens of Cork.

“It is a very important facility for the city and it is in everyone’s interest that it survives. We will work with management to ensure that is the case. The real work starts now.”

His comments came as stage legend Niall Toibín branded the temporary closure “an absolute disgrace”.

“I don’t believe that an institution like this in a city the size of Cork should have to close, even temporarily. It is an absolute disgrace,” he said.

“You might as well take Shandon and throw it in the River Lee as well.”

The theatre’s interim director, Padraic Liston, announced the temporary closure last Friday.

Staff have been warned of wage cuts and redundancies if it is to survive as a viable business.

Draft accounts show it recorded a loss of roughly €300,000 for the year ended March 2010. The board has been advised it must cut costs by €500,000.

The 1,000-seat venue will honour three shows during the closure – two Daniel O’Donnell shows and one by Après Match.

Mr Liston said he is confident it will be business as usual after the temporary closure. The board has set up a task force to attract quality acts and a sub-finance committee has been set up to review ticket prices, he added.

The theatre is due to reopen in September with Fame: The Musical and with a full autumn and winter schedule.