Nearly €1m in public funds for ‘private’ Gate Theatre

The Gate Theatre received €860,000 in public money in 2017, despite Taoiseach Leo Varadkar describing it as a “private body”.

Grace Dyas, the artist and activist who made public allegations of harassment against the theatre’s former director Michael Colgan, has written an open letter to Mr Varadkar about his remarks.

“I want to point out that while it might be a private body on paper, it is in receipt of €860,000, through the Arts Council. The Gate is a public institution, paid for by Irish citizens, through their taxes or the tickets they buy.