Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is confident that the development of a museum in Moore Street, Dublin 1, will be complete for the 1916 centenary celebrations. [31285/14]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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On behalf of myself and the Sinn Féin party, I wish the new Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht well in her new role. I congratulate her on her promotion and I look forward to working with her in the future.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for her good wishes and look forward to working with her.

As the Deputy is aware, revised designs submitted by the owners of the national monument at Nos. 14-17 Moore Street for the restoration of the monument buildings and the creation of a commemorative centre to the leaders of the 1916 Rising on the site were approved by my Department on 30 April 2014. Previously, in July 2013, an order of consent was signed that approved the commemorative centre proposal and the full repair and conservation of the monument buildings. However, consent was refused for the demolition of any structures or the removal of material from the site that dated from or before 1916. Any plans for an underground car park within the boundary of the national monument and for the demolition of the Moore Lane facades of Nos. 15 and 16 were also ruled out. The July 2013 consent was conditional on revised project designs being submitted to my Department that took full account of the elements of the proposal for which consent had been refused and the conditions attached to the approved works. The revised designs were received in March of this year and, following consultation with interested parties and a full assessment, were approved on 30 April 2014, subject to a number of new conditions.

The decision made on the revised designs will, I believe, secure the future of one of the most important sites in modern Irish history. The accompanying conditions will also ensure that the restored buildings will, from day one, have a standard of finish and appearance that befits their historical importance.

I understand that NAMA has approved funding for the proposed works to the national monument and it is now a matter for the monument owners to progress the project.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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The forthcoming centenary celebrations of the 1916 Rising are particularly important and the preservation of Moore Street is, of course, a priority. The decision by the Government to grant permission for the development of Moore Street to go ahead is tantamount to the obliteration of what the National Museum has called the most important site in modern Irish history. The Government proposals to turn Nos. 14-17 Moore Street into an interpretive centre, while welcome, are inadequate and fail to match the reality that this is the most important historic site in modern Irish history.

Sinn Féin fundamentally disagrees with the decision to grant a licence to Chartered Land to demolish Moore Street and turn it into a shopping centre. As a new Minister to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will the Minister revisit this decision and will she review the evidence presented to her Department? The Taoiseach is meeting the relatives as we speak and I hope that meeting will be a fruitful one. Has the Minister met with the Taoiseach yet to discuss Moore Street?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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To answer the last question, I have not had an opportunity to meet with the Taoiseach yet but I am aware the relatives are meeting him as we speak.

The national monument is being protected by the State, as I said earlier, but anything outside Nos. 14-17 Moore Street is a matter for the planning authorities and the owner of the site. I have no function in regard to the regulation of the development outside the bounds of the preservation order.

As required under the National Monuments Act, an application for consent in respect of proposed works to Nos. 14-17 Moore Street was submitted to my Department on behalf of the owners in June 2013. The application sought consent for a range of works at Nos. 14-17 Moore Street, including the provision of a commemorative centre and facilities for visitors, an underground car park to the rear of the monument and also the demolition of the Moore Lane facades at Nos. 15 and 16.

On 16 July 2013, the Minister granted consent under section 14 of the National Monuments Act 1930. The consent provided for the creation of a commemorative centre at the national monument at Nos. 14-17 Moore Street, the full repair and conservation of the buildings at Nos. 14-17 Moore Street and the demolition of non-original, post-1916 additions and partitions in Nos. 14-17 Moore Street.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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As guardian of the monument, I believe the Minister shares responsibility for the surrounding area of Nos. 14-17 Moore Street. The entire Moore Street battlefield site should be developed and protected as a national monument. In any other state, these laneways of history would be preserved and would be a vital place of remembrance. This would be a fitting centrepiece for the centenary and an economic boost to the north inner city, as well as a prestigious international educational and tourist facility.

The Minister is in a new job. She can bring fresh thinking to the role of Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Will she go back to the drawing board and review her Department's decision? Will she consider developing Moore Street and surrounding streets and lanes, encompassing the GPO, as an historic quarter?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As I said, I have no function in regard to the regulation of development outside the bounds of the preservation order. I mentioned that the Minister granted consent on 16 July 2013 but he also refused consent for the demolition of any structures or removal of material which date from or before 1916. Works for the provision of an underground car park within the boundary of the national monument were also refused and the demolition of the Moore Lane facades of Nos. 15 and 16 was refused, so they are being protected. It is also important that NAMA has approved funding for the proposed works to the national monument and it is now a matter for the monument owners to progress the project.

I accept the Deputy's point that it is a very important site. A lot of work has been done on this to date. I will certainly be protecting the particular area that has been designated as a national monument, as it is my duty to do.