Mr. James Connolly Heron:

Our case is that there are adequate regulations in place under the existing legislation to carry out restoration of all the buildings in the area. For three years, we have been notifying planning enforcement of the breaches of the planning regulations in the area such as the blocking up of windows, exits and entrances but to no avail. That is why our call is for State intervention at every level.

If we are worried about 2016, the starting point is planning enforcement. One should examine the area, list all the planning breaches and compel the owner to carry out immediate restorative work on the entire terrace. It is not really a difficulty - in fact, one could say in a sense it is easier - that this national monument is under the control of a developer who is under the financial control of NAMA. In a way, the State is involved, but what must happen and which has not happened to date is that there must be action. There must be a political decision taken that this is not merely an ordinary planning application but that this is a proposal to destroy the historic centre of Dublin that links directly to the event in our history that led to our independence. It requires political will. It requires the committee, as elected representatives and Members of the Oireachtas, to remain steadfast that there will be no invasion of the area of the national monument, no building on it and no building under it. It must be protected fully. Outside of that, there is a battlefield site to be taken care of. Stage one in this entire process is there must be no invasion of the protected area of a monument of this importance.