Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I will do so. The answer is a load of waffle. How could the Minister read that reply when the country is being stripped day and night? At the Hume Street hospital site, close to the cameras at the Department of Justice and Equality, raiders broke in over a two-week period and stripped the entire roof and contents of the hospital before exporting their gains abroad. Is the Minister saying the county councils and other bodies are supposed to mind these monuments? I cannot believe a man like the Minister would read a nonsensical answer like that when his Government voted down a Private Member's Bill that I tabled for discussion six weeks ago. Many of the speakers in Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fáil, Independents and other sides of the House were aware of the significant problem of theft of scrap metal, not only from private buildings but from public monuments as well. A further fallacy told by the officials is that most monuments are structures; all of these have a lead lightning conductor for protection, and they are being raped and plundered. It is time the Minister's officials, the Garda and everybody else woke up and faced facts. I would be delighted if the Air Corps supplied aeroplanes to help catch these robbers rather than catching the ordinary people of Ireland who are trying to keep themselves warm by cutting some turf.

The ICMSA, the Georgian Society, Muintir na Tíre and many other bodies have lobbied about this issue. Under our eyes our national structures are being plundered. We are putting up new structures with the 1% for arts schemes across the country in conjunction with road and other projects. They are being taken down every night. The Minister has come in with this answer but he should do more research rather than accept that waffle. The figures hold the proof. The Minister has made disgraceful allegations about another Deputy, which is unbecoming. He has not heard the last of it.

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