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

I thank the Minister of State. He is correct that there is supposedly mediation taking place. However, that has been ongoing for quite a long time. Ownership has been disputed since 2018 when the planning permission ran out. The problem is that one of the parties disputing ownership is in fact the local authority, the body that is supposed to protect the building under dispute. I brought the matter to this forum in the hope that Dublin City Council would listen and finally step in, secure the building and protect it from any further decay. It could then deal with the mediation in the meantime given that winter is coming.

The Iveagh Markets could be a fabulous resource for the city of Dublin and the country given the number of tourists who travel through the area but also for a community which has lost the Nicholas of Myra Hall, which is currently being used as a homeless centre, and another community hall, where there was a fire and will not reopen until 2025. The community is at a loss for space. The Iveagh Markets building is in such a perilous state that it could not be turned into a community area for many years. It must first be secured. Thankfully, the Guinness family stepped in and took control. It now pays for the security of the building. However, that is only security of the premises rather than security of the fabric of the building, which is in danger from snow, ice and water which can do tremendous damage to the iron pillars and the balconies that are rotting away. They need to be secured before they become totally useless for any rebuild in the future.

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