Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí ar fad a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo agus leo siúd san Áiléar atá ag féachaint ar an díospóireacht. Is léir go bhfuil gá le díospóireacht agus tá sé go maith go raibh díospóireacht againn sa Teach. Is trua go raibh orainn díospóireacht a dhéanamh de bharr an chacamais a tháinig as béal Mhicheál Martin. Tá deis againn díriú isteach ar an gceist seo.

We have an opportunity. We should be considering the future use of the GPO. That debate should have started in this Chamber when An Post decided it was pulling out of the offices in the GPO. What has been presented thus far has shown, as Deputy Gannon said, a failure of imagination. We have set out our ambitious and unapologetically patriotic vision for the GPO. The Government has not done that thus far. I appeal to it to stop fumbling in the greasy till and adding the halfpence to the pence, and encourage it to embrace the vision of a vibrant, visionary, inspirational, cultural, historical and artistic quarter, not just in the GPO but also in the area of the Moore Street battlefield.

I ask the Government to correct history. The national monument now comprises 14-17 Moore Street but at one stage, until a previous Government went to court, the national monument comprised the whole terrace. The Government was forced to expand beyond 16 Moore Street, which it had first, only because of public pressure to include 14-17, and part of 18. The Government has denied 10 Moore Street. There is a whole load of other inaccuracies.

Enniscorthy did hold out. It did not hold out until Easter Monday, but until the Monday after Easter Monday. Let us remember that Easter Monday was the date the Rising started. The Rising did not finish in Enniscorthy on the day it started; it continued thereafter. There is a whole load of other inaccuracies. Sinn Féin was founded in 1905. I am sorry, but that is even before Fianna Fáil. Maybe the Minister does not know that history.

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