Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As guardian of the monument, I believe the Minister shares responsibility for the surrounding area of Nos. 14-17 Moore Street. The entire Moore Street battlefield site should be developed and protected as a national monument. In any other state, these laneways of history would be preserved and would be a vital place of remembrance. This would be a fitting centrepiece for the centenary and an economic boost to the north inner city, as well as a prestigious international educational and tourist facility.

The Minister is in a new job. She can bring fresh thinking to the role of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Will she go back to the drawing board and review her Department's decision? Will she consider developing Moore Street and surrounding streets and lanes, encompassing the GPO, as an historic quarter?

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