Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Nobody is proposing sterilising anything. In fact, a proper historical monument taking into account the context of the building would be an enormous boon to the area in terms of amenities and facilities for local communities, as well as tourism for those of us who live elsewhere in the State or the city. A state-of-the-art historic monument on the Moore Street site, by way of example, would be a driver of economic regeneration. The private sector has had decades to regenerate that part of the city, as the Minister knows, and has failed singularly to do so.

Often when the Minister rejects an amendment, he suggests that the amendment should delineate the conditions upon which decisions would then be made by competent authorities. This is what regulations are for and what professional planning authorities are for. In fact in almost all of the categories here additional regulation would be required. There would also be a requirement on behalf of the planning authorities to make their reasoned assessments in accordance with the law and regulations. All the amendment would do is add a requirement regarding the surrounding context of the structure. By his own admission, the Minister is not allowed think beyond the structure. This section of the Bill only contemplates the physical building itself. This process would then determine exactly where those boundaries are. In the case of Moore Street, I do not think anybody is arguing that it includes the entrance to the GPO. There is a sense when speaking to people of what that immediate context of the building is. Regulations and good decision-making by planning authorities and planning officials would dealing with the detail of this. I will press the amendment.