Mr. Kieran Mulvey:

I was chairman of the North East Inner City Task Force on the north inner city regeneration but O'Connell Street, Parnell Street or anything else did not come into my purview. I have been through that building. The front of the building, with all of the Palladian features, is very iconic as it was the centre of the revolution that led to our independence. It has that iconic image. Unfortunately, over the past number of years, the image of that has deteriorated because of anti-social drug activity. I have been in the post office myself on pensioner welfare day and it is not a pretty sight to see what happens in there. We must have a greater respect for our employees in that regard and for other people who legitimately go about their business there.

The back of the building has been the subject of discussion and engagement with business communities over the years. Then of course we created the 1916 gallery in there, which is a great museum and facility and has been modernised. I have heard the reference to RTÉ and that is where RTÉ started, in the GPO. It was called RN or something. I knew some people who did their first stint there. The late judge, Liam Devally, was a personal friend of mine and used to broadcast from the GPO. I also understand some of the facilities which were used by RTÉ at that time were of the art nouveau variety, given when it was rebuilt after the destruction, and those features are still there. One could possibly have a section of RTÉ that could operate from there. I am not going to suggest what section that would be but I know that when Kevin Bakhurst has been addressing staff, he has mentioned to them the necessity to relocate some of their facilities and productions.

As I always say, sometimes you have to think the impossible and it will happen. It might revitalise part of our city because we cannot have the main street of the capital, that has such historical import to the country, be a no-go area.