Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The answer ignores all the other events that occurred on these streets, coming from the GPO around to Moore Street and down to the place of the final surrender. The Minister is not taking into account all these other events which involved the members of the Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, Cumann na mBan and ordinary citizens.

Some very significant events happened on that street scape. We are talking about the fabric and the sense of what Moore Street was like at the time of the Easter Rising. The Minister was at Google recently launching a virtual reality tour of 1916. On Moore Street we have a real reality of what it was like. We know the value of folk parks and we know that, with a different vision, Moore Street could be that historical area. At the moment, a shopping centre is planned.

There has been a litany of mistakes, in which Dublin City was also involved. Where was the engagement between the Government and Dublin City Council on it? A week ago, I watched the "Scannal" programme about Wood Quay. We could remove the words "Wood Quay" and substitute "Moore Street", given that exactly the same thing is happening. There is a need for a different vision and time is running out. Who is monitoring what is happening? The builders are going in. They have no historic or conservation experience and more could be destroyed.

See this speech in context