Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have shown they see no value in artistic and cultural endeavour through their inaction which has led to the closure of The Complex, according to Social Democrats arts and culture spokesperson Sinéad Gibney.
Deputy Gibney said:
“The Complex, the multidisciplinary arts centre in Dublin’s North Inner City, announced its permanent closure last night due to the failure of government to take action to retain the space.
“This is an immeasurable blow for arts and culture in Dublin – the centre’s programme for 2026, which included events, residencies and exhibitions, has now been cancelled.
“The Complex’s CEO, Vanessa Fielding, said that their efforts to save the venue had “been frustrated by an inflexible landlord, focused exclusively on achieving vacant possession, to maximise the redevelopment value of the site” – the government’s handling of this conundrum shows their priorities are all wrong.
“This coalition has shown government after government that it’s more than willing to overspend on basic projects, such as spending over €1.7 million on a bike shed and security hut for Leinster House, yet the Department of Culture showed no willingness to save The Complex – Dublin’s North Inner City has now lost one of its few remaining art spaces.
“For a government which talks endlessly about how intrinsic cultural pursuits are to Irish identity, it’s shown it is unwilling to put its money where its mouth is when the survival of this sector is at risk.
“This situation calls into question the Minister for Arts & Culture’s dedication to the pursuits he’s supposed to protect and promote – I’m calling on Minister O’Donovan to explain the rationale behind allowing this space to close, and what he plans to do to remedy this loss.
“My heart goes out to all of the staff, artists and local residents affected – The Complex served Dublin’s North Inner City for 18 years, and its absence will be strongly felt by all those in the community.”
January 16th, 2026