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

It is not just this Government, but successive ones. When this Government did the right thing with part of the terrace, why could it not have gone further and done the right thing with the whole area? We also had this exchange in 2014, when the Taoiseach told me that commemorative events had to be inclusive, sensitive and appropriate.

I will go back two weeks on the subject of Nos. 14-17. The occupation should never have happened, but what occurred that Monday was disrespectful, undignified and insensitive to what happened in Nos. 14-17. It was cloak-and-dagger stuff and no conservation expert was on hand to oversee the work. Someone happened to arrive along and heard workers using claw hammers. I mean no disrespect to the workers, but they did not know where they were, what they were doing or the significance of the building.

The reports contain many mistakes. In one conservation report, No. 18's facade was singled out as being pre-1916. In another, this was omitted. Once something is destroyed, it is gone forever. There are examples of this.

So far, the taxpayer has paid €9 million: €4 million to buy and €5 million designated for Nos. 14-17. Whose plan are we following? It does not appear to be the State's plan, but the plan that was drawn up by the same failed property developer that wanted to build over, under and around the national monument.

I have just been at a meeting in city hall with the Moore Street forum. Dublin City Council was represented. It claims that the Minister has responsibility but the Taoiseach claims that Dublin City Council has responsibility. A motion was passed by Dublin City Council on 11 January.

That motion must be taken into consideration by the Government. Since the Government is passing it in one way and Dublin City Council in another, there is a need for all the stakeholders to come together at the same time so these matters can be addressed. The Government must take the lead on this. Time is very much running out.

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