Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

In common with all other Senators, I welcome members of the Moore Street committee and relatives of those involved in the 1916 Rising. I subscribe to what was said. I am glad the preservation order has been made and that the properties in question are considered to be a national monument. As has been said, they are in private ownership. I am not being definitive about this, but in view of what has occurred with the owners, perhaps the National Asset Management Agency might become involved. We must take steps to ensure this is a high class interpretative centre and museum. For that reason we should consider working towards transferring responsibility for the project to the Office of Public Works, which is the appropriate State agency to manage our built heritage and places of historic and cultural significance, which Nos. 14-17 Moore Street so obviously are, especially No. 16. It is also important, however, that we protect and enhance the entire area and preserve its structures. I urge the Minister of State to look into getting the best brains of the State, through the OPW, involved. I welcome the fact the committee and officials from the Department of the Taoiseach will be involved in an early meeting that it is hoped will progress this work and any other work they think might be of importance in that regard. Many Irish people are unaware of the importance of this area to our history and are unaware that this is where the leaders retreated and where the last decisions were made before the surrender. It is important, therefore, that they would be able to visit it.

We should also consider how important this site might be from a tourism point of view. It is in the centre of our capital city and could make a wonderful visitor centre, both for Irish residents and visitors to Ireland. I look forward to seeing developments in that regard and hope much will be achieved and that everything will be in place before 2016 and the centenary celebrations. I wish the committee and all the officials who will be involved the best. We wholeheartedly support the efforts being made.