James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)

On 6 April last year, Simon Harris, then the Taoiseach in waiting, made a clear commitment to convene a Dublin city centre task force bringing together the council, retailers, business, community groups and An Garda Síochána to chart a path towards a safer and more vibrant Dublin. He delivered on that commitment. The city task force was established, chaired by David McRedmond, and one of its most important proposals was to make the redevelopment of the GPO the centrepiece of revitalising O'Connell Street and the surrounding area. Last week, for the first time in decades, Dublin city centre received the kind of focused attention it has long needed, thanks to the task force Simon Harris established. The city centre can and should be clean, safe and vibrant, a capital we are all proud of.

The Government announcement includes a commitment to additional investment and to the redevelopment of the GPO as an ambitious and historic flagship project. In my view, that project should be nothing less than a world-class historical museum honouring the legacy of the GPO while breathing new life into the heart of our capital. Year one of the roadmap for delivery includes a clear commitment to conceptualise and decide on the future use of the reimagined GPO. That process will be led by the OPW, with support from a new special-purpose vehicle under Dublin City Council to drive delivery. The interdepartmental report published alongside the roadmap makes clear a detailed proposal for the future use of the GPO will be developed by the OPW and submitted for approval by the Government in due course.

Let us be clear. The sacrifices of the men and women who stood in the GPO in 1916, ordinary people who laid the foundations for the freedom we enjoy today, deserve better than to be dragged into a cynical and false debate manufactured by Sinn Féin to divide and distract. Drop the charade. Let us work together for the betterment of our capital city and for a GPO redevelopment that lives up to its history and to our hopes for the future.

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