Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Táim buíoch as an deis seo labhairt ar an mBille tábhachtach seo. Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta Tóibín as ucht é a chur faoi bhráid na Dála, agus iarraim ar gach aon Teachta tacaíocht a thabhairt don Bhille atá ós ár gcomhair. The aim of the Bill before the Dáil is to designate certain parts of Moore Street and its immediate surroundings a national monument, the Moore Street battlefield site, as Deputy Tóibín has set out. This would ensure that the route taken by the volunteers on their evacuation of the GPO during the Easter Rising would be adequately preserved. I hope the Bill will receive the unanimous support of Deputies.

Moore Street lies at the heart of my constituency. Not alone is it a street steeped in history, it is a street like no other. It is home to a street-trading tradition that goes back generations and, as I am sure everyone knows, the traders of Moore Street, the Molly Malones as they are sometimes referred to, make an unparalleled contribution to the life and vibrancy of the inner city.

Among them will be found some of the finest Dublin characters one will ever meet. I am fortunate to call many of them my friends. They need to be front and centre in all plans to redevelop Moore Street in order that their tradition is preserved and their livelihoods maintained. That is essential.

Alongside that, redevelopment must honour the heritage of the Moore Street quarter and the entire Moore Street terrace needs to be protected, preserved and restored. Sinn Féin's long-standing proposal to develop a historical quarter in the area would be of considerable benefit to the city both economically and socially. Unfortunately, due to countless legal battles, the development of Moore Street has ground to a halt. It has to be said that is a direct result of the actions and inaction of successive Governments. The Minister has refused to issue a preservation order for the buildings on Moore Street that this Bill identifies as compromising the national monument on Moore Street. She has refused to do this despite the Court of Appeal confirming in February that she has the power to do so.

The Bill proposes to amend the National Monuments Acts for the purposes of deeming the Moore Street site a national monument. Such a move would put an end to the nonsense that has been ongoing for decades in respect of the site. As a result of the legal wrangling that has surrounded it, the entire north western end of O'Connell Street has been left in a state of disgraceful disrepair. As a result, the entire street suffers and O'Connell Street is undoubtedly not fulfilling its potential as the main thoroughfare of our capital city. Moore Street could be, and should be, a rich, vibrant cultural and heritage site that would adequately honour the legacy of the men and women of 1916. It would also serve as a catalyst for the renewal of the entire area.

A large international developer holds planning permission for effectively all of the buildings on the side of the street where the national monument is located. While there has been some interaction between the developer concerned and the ministerial advisory forum, this has been limited. The planning permission could be enacted at any time which means that the buildings listed in the Bill, except 14 to 17 Moore Street, would be threatened with destruction. We are told the Minister has refused to take the necessary preservation order because all stakeholders are interacting on the ministerial advisory forum. A preservation notice is not incompatible with that forum, which will not make or accept any decision that is not fully in sympathy with national monument status. The Minister needs to understand that and to take it on board.

We need the Government to step up and put in place proper safeguards for the Moore Street quarter. The Minister should do the right thing and issue the preservation order. If she does that, the Bill could be withdrawn. If she does not, we will have no option but to persist with our campaign to see to it that the Dáil acts instead. Similarly, the campaign outside will continue. As I conclude, I commend the work of the Save No. 16 Moore Street Committee and the 1916 relatives group over the years. I fear that without their tireless advocacy Moore Street would have been irrevocably lost and damaged. As a result of their tireless work, we have an opportunity to do something different and meaningful, and to do what we should, which is the right thing. Iarraim ar gach Teachta tacú leis an mBille atá romhainn.

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