Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. There is quite a bit in the Minister of State's reply. I will try to deal with some of that. I acknowledge the built heritage projects mentioned in the response, but most of them are on a smaller scale. This, however, is a massive scale. It has the biggest scaffold for any roof project currently. The project will cost €9.1 million and will involve stripping away the whole roof.

During the two years that the roof is missing, the timbers in the roof will be reworked and, if needs be, treated. The new slates which come from the same quarry used when the roof was last fixed in the 1860s, cost €25 each and every one of them has to be taken by hand up and down the scaffolding. This is an enormous undertaking by any standards and anyone with an understanding of conservation and restoration will acknowledge that. This project does not really fit the criteria for the small grants that are available for restoration but it is of such major importance that the Government must provide a once-off grant for it.

The Minister of State is technically correct that St. Patrick's Cathedral is not a national monument because services are still held there. However, one could also argue that the GPO is not a national monument because stamps are still sold there. There must be some understanding at Government level of the national importance of this project. St. Patrick's Cathedral is a significant tourist attraction. It is of benefit to the local area as well as to the Church of Ireland congregation. Anything that endangers the cathedral, like leaving it exposed to the elements because the roof has been stripped back, needs to be addressed by the State. The Government needs to step up to the plate here.

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