Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My predecessor, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, placed a preservation order under the National Monuments Acts on Nos. 14-17 Moore Street on the premise that No. 16 was the final headquarters of the 1916 Rising and the location of the last council of war by the 1916 leaders when the decision to surrender was taken. Nos. 14, 15 and 17 Moore Street were included in the preservation order to enhance and preserve the amenity and setting of No. 16. Collectively, the four buildings represent the most significant, original, complete, discrete and continuous section of substantially intact pre-1916 buildings on the street, with most of the remaining buildings dating from after 1916.

While No. 10 Moore Street was the first building broken into by the insurgents, the building is now separated from the national monument by new buildings since built on the sites of Nos. 11, 12 and 13 and is, therefore, isolated from its context. Moreover, the facade of No. 10 has undergone significant interventions in the meantime which have compromised the architectural and historical integrity of the structure.

Outside of Nos. 14-17 Moore Street, the remaining parts of the terrace fail to meet the criteria of a national monument under the National Monuments Acts. Following my announcement earlier this week of the purchase of Nos. 14-17 Moore Street by the State and of the conservation and restoration now under way, I am satisfied that coupled with the new visitor centre being developed in the GPO, the Moore Street commemorative centre will be a fitting and lasting tribute to the 1916 Easter Rising.

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