Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Moore Street consultative forum. It is something I discussed with Deputy Ó Cuív at the time. I pay tribute to him on that, because he said he felt that was a good way to bring it forward. I took his comments on board, set up the forum and put the chairman in place. This forum has worked very well and I again pay tribute to Mr. Gerry Kearney who chaired that and it did a very good job. The forum came to me with its report which included the recommendation that we set up an advisory forum. I have done that now and we have a new chair, Dr. Tom Collins, who is working with the group. I am arranging a date on which to meet the chairman, Dr. Collins. I will be meeting the developer, as the Chairman mentioned, to talk to him on how we can engage with the advisory group and also impress upon him how we need to work together. Hammerson is relatively new to this process, having become the owners of this property not that long ago. The Chairman can rest assured that I will encourage the developer in every way that I can to work with the advisory group. As the committee knows, the State owns Nos. 14 to 17, and under direction from the courts, we carried out some very necessary restoration work to weather and protect these buildings. We have done that, and if we need to go back to do some more work, we will certainly go back to the courts to ask their permission for this, because we have to do that, based on the judgment. As the committee knows, we appealed the judgment. We did not have a choice because it would have had a huge impact on other infrastructural projects throughout the country.

As I said, I am committed to doing all that I can, as are the members of the advisory committee, to progress this matter as quickly as possible.