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

I acknowledge my colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, for moving the Bill. The debate on the Bill has adequately reflected the really important place that Moore Street occupies in the story of our country. The years of neglect and abandonment by the State have not diminished its aura or its legacy for our people, notwithstanding the reality of the dereliction and grime and, as one Deputy described it, it being used as an outdoor lavatory from time to time.

Notwithstanding that, it is a place at the very heart of our country's long struggle for independence and a republic. It is hallowed ground. Its laneways are the laneways of history. When one walks its streets, one walks in the footsteps of the brave men and women of the 1916 Rising who carried the dream of an Ireland that could be free, equal and united, a nation that cherishes equality and justice for all. That is no small thing. These are not just buildings, laneways and streets. This is where the Republic lived as the rebels of Easter week fought to break the connection between Ireland and British imperialism. It was in the Moore Street area that the very heart of that Republic beat. It then reverberated through the years that followed and across the world. Following six days of heroic resistance, the centre of our city of Dublin lay in ruins. Five of the leaders of the Provisional Government met for the last time in No. 16 Moore Street and ordered the surrender.

What happened 105 years ago in the area surrounding Moore Street changed the course of our history forever. The area includes the historic terrace at Nos. 10 to 25 Moore Street, as well as the GPO, the White House, the O'Brien's Bottling Stores on Henry Place and the lanes, streets and boundaries of Moore Street, Moore Lane, Henry Place and O'Rahilly Parade. What happened in these places, the stage upon which our city fought an empire, ensured that things would never be the same again. As Yeats wrote, "All changed, changed utterly".

The 1916 Rising brought with it a wind of history that has left its mark on every square inch of the Moore Street area. That is why the battlefield site was rightly recognised by the High Court in 2016 as a national monument. As has been said today, most countries have sites and buildings that are important to them in terms of their journeys to nationhood and freedom, revered places that stand in testimony to a people risen in the name of their independence. It is right that these places are honoured and we should honour ours too. Moore Street should be and can be a landmark of modern Irish history, a citadel of the values so poetically expressed in the Proclamation and in the Democratic Programme.

Not only is the Moore Street area renowned for its place in our revolutionary history, but it is also teeming with culture and tradition. The Moore Street market has been referred to. It is Dublin's oldest food market and predates the Famine. It is a place where generations of people have come to witness and soak up Dublin heritage at its most raw and in the most everyday of ways. No trip to our nation's capital is complete without a walk among the stalls of Moore Street or without encountering the wit, banter and charm of our traders. The authentic atmosphere and unvarnished experience of the Moore Street market is special and it is an experience that we must preserve, enhance and promote as part of our city's attractions. The laneways of Moore Street echo with our past but they also chime loudly with the prospect of a vibrant future.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh's Bill to revitalise the 1916 Moore Street quarter is about building an exciting future for an area that is steeped in our very proud history. We need to unite over the truth that our heritage and past are too important to be handed over to the whims of a private developer who would perhaps pave over our history with a shopping centre. The Hammerson plan should be rejected openly and outright and the listing of the buildings on Moore Street should continue. The regeneration of the area can be advanced through the development of art, music and sport, as well as establishing a permanent, outdoor Moore Street market. Such a creative and modern approach would boost tourism, footfall and jobs in an effective way. This Bill supports the approach envisaged by the Save Moore Street and 1916 relatives groups who have fought long and hard for the State to take action to preserve and revitalise the area. Indeed, it should be noted that the group's own impressive plan would see much-needed housing, retail and cultural experiences woven throughout this historic quarter. That is the right plan for this area and should be adopted and driven by the State. That plan has the potential to transform the inner city and act as a catalyst for further regeneration and enhancement.

For far too long, Governments and Ministers have delayed acting and that needs to stop. At the beginning of our debate, the Minister reflected that, in his view, we were in a better place. That is true and it is not. It is true inasmuch as we now have an identifiable national monument but it is not true insofar as we still face a reluctance, hesitancy and refusal to grasp this opportunity. I want to challenge all of us, particularly those in government, to be ambitious and see the bigger picture. Easter week in 1916 was a watershed time for Dublin, Ireland and, arguably, the world. The leaders of the Rising who met for the last time at 16 Moore Street knew the importance of seizing the moment and, with this Bill, we now have the opportunity to create a vibrant 1916 historical quarter, a living museum in the heart of our city. This is our moment and I wish us to seize it. The 1916 Rising changed the course of Irish history. It is not enough for the Government simply not to oppose this legislation and then sit back and do nothing. We need active support for this legislation now. I agree that we need to work in a united fashion and a collegiate way. We need to sit down together to make this a reality. No time can be lost. We should adopt an all-Oireachtas approach and bring this Bill to life.

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