Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, the project to conserve the national monument buildings and to open them to the public to honour the leaders of the 1916 Rising was suspended in early 2016 on foot of proceedings in the High Court.

The aim of the works was to restore the buildings in a way that would have ensured that they reflected as closely as possible what they would have been like when they were occupied by the insurgents in 1916. Each of the buildings has extensive original features. The intention was, and remains, to retain all of this original material. With the agreement of the High Court a programme of works was subsequently completed to stabilise and weatherproof the buildings. This agreed programme was completed last year and the monument buildings are now in the care of the Office of Public Works. Working with The Moore Street Report — Securing History as its guide, the Moore Street advisory group, of which the Deputy is a member and whose support for the process I greatly appreciate, is currently engaged in discussions with the new owners of the Dublin Central site about the implementation of these recommendations and the future of the site surrounding the national monument. I was pleased to hear from the chair of the advisory group that the discussions are progressing positively.

I understand that the advisory group has been briefed in some detail by the architects for the new owners on how the previous plans for the wider site are being significantly modified in a way that is seen to be more sympathetic to the traditions and history of the area and that also brings the commemoration of the events of Easter 1916 much more to the fore. The design changes that will follow in relation to aspects such as architectural heritage, urban regeneration, community benefit and social amenity will determine how the wider regeneration work interacts with the national monument buildings themselves and how both elements are appropriately and sensitively integrated. Until that discussion, in which I see the Moore Street advisory group having a significant role, is complete and an overall solution to the regeneration of the surrounding site is in place, it would not be possible to put a precise timeframe on the resumption of work on the national monument project.

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