Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

Like many people in the country, I have welcomed the decision to designate Nos. 14 to 18 Moore Street as a national monument. This happened after a long campaign initiated by the National Graves Association and which has been carried on since by the Save 16 Moore Street group. The intention was to save the last headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. That was No.16 Moore Street but the adjoining buildings were deemed to be equally important, and Nos. 14 to 17 all played a significant part in the foundation of this State.

In March this year property developer Joe O'Reilly, who headed up a development consortium called the Carlton consortium, secured planning permission for the development of the Carlton cinema site in the heart of Dublin. He now has seven years to carry out the development but as many of us know, a number of Mr. O'Reilly's business loans with Irish banks have recently been scheduled for NAMA. I presume they will be transferred in the near future so there is a question over the capability of Mr. O'Reilly to carry out the development as approved.

The site for which the Carlton consortium has obtained planning permission includes most of the block at the upper half of O'Connell Street as it fronts to Henry Street, including Moore Street and O'Rahilly Parade, and then as it fronts to Parnell Street. It includes the national monument at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street, with permission granted for development subject to 31 conditions, some of which relate to the conversion of No. 16 Moore Street.

Others relate to the demolition of some of the surrounding buildings and to some of the fabric of No.16 and Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. I find myself in agreement with the great-grandson of James Connolly, Jim Connolly Heron, who is a mainstay of the campaign to save Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street and who stated that the planning application proposed the partial demolition of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. The developer has been asked to include the 1916 elements in the development, which would highlight the retreat route from the GPO back to the houses in Moore Street. However, it appears as though the only part of the planning permission granted that relates to the commemoration of the 1916 Rising is the planned museum in No. 16 Moore Street, which the developer was originally obliged to provide anyway prior to the planning permission. Consequently, it appears as though the developer now plans to demolish the entire original fabric of the building, thereby leaving only the shell of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street, with the exception of No. 16. It appears as though we could end up with the shell of a national monument with the other surrounding yard areas totally demolished.

I believe the site from Nos. 14 to 17 should be developed by, or under the direct supervision of, bodies such as the National Museum, the Office of Public Works or the Heritage Council and in accordance with the recommendations of the Shaffrey report, which was commissioned by Dublin City Council and paid for by the people of Dublin. I ask the Minister of State to study the aforementioned report.

Approximately 30 years ago, we buried the Viking and medieval history of Dublin at Wood Quay. I hope we do not do the same with this site, which was pivotal to our own recent history and the foundation of the State. The centenary of the 1916 Rising is only six years away and it is time for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, who has responsibility for national monuments to produce his plans for the two national monuments that are associated with the rising in the centre of Dublin, namely, the GPO and Moore Street. I hope to hear his plans for at least one of the aforementioned national monuments this evening.

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