Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I support Senator McLellan in this regard. We accept the Minister of State's confirmation that the Abbey Theatre will not move to the GPO. I join the Deputy in suggesting the Department and the OPW should consider locating a cultural centre in the GPO to celebrate the history of the building as the focal point of the 1916 Rising. Many of our forefathers fought in GPO and its vicinity to secure the freedom of the country. As we approach the centenary celebrations, the Department should carefully consider what can be done with that area of Dublin city. I suggest it should develop a facility that could be used to celebrate the 1916 Rising, not only on a once-off basis but also by future generations. We will have festivals and commemorations to celebrate the centenary, but we should also develop this historic building in order that it would become an ongoing tourist attraction in the heart of the city. I ask the Department to revisit the matter with a view to putting something in place by 2016.

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