Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide a detailed update on the Government's purchase of 14-17 Moore Street in Dublin 1. [24222/15]

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister for a detailed update on developments since the Government's recent purchase of Nos. 14-17 Moore Street. Where do matters stand as there seems to be a delay in the progress?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My primary function in this case arises from the preservation order that was placed on Nos. 14-17 Moore Street under the National Monuments Acts in 2007 in order to protect No. 16 as the site of the final council of war and final headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. After extensive deliberations, ministerial consent was given to the owners of the national monument in April 2014 for the creation of a 1916 commemorative centre in the monument buildings, involving the full repair and restoration of the structures, both internally and externally.

Proposals that subsequently went before Dublin City Council late last year would have allowed the exchange of two modern 1990s buildings at Nos. 24 and 25 Moore Street, currently used as a cleansing depot, in return for full ownership of Nos. 14-17 being transferred to the city council. The transfer would have been accompanied by NAMA funding to cover the full cost of the restoration project and the construction of the proposed commemorative centre. I was disappointed that Dublin city councillors rejected these plans, which I believe provided a real opportunity to have the restoration work completed and the commemorative centre open in time for the centenary of the Rising in 2016.

Following the decision of Dublin City Council and in order to ensure the long-term future of the national monument, I secured Government approval for its acquisition by the State. This will bring the national monument into public ownership and will also facilitate the safeguarding and restoration of the buildings, and the development of the proposed 1916 commemorative centre to be run as a public facility. My Department is now engaged with the monument owners and other relevant parties with the aim of concluding the transfer of the property into State ownership as quickly as possible. My Department is also examining options for how best the restoration of the buildings for use as a commemorative centre can be effected, with a view to having it open to the public at the earliest possible date.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Dublin city councillors recently passed a motion that five more buildings be added to the register of protected properties based on their significance at that period. A report was to be prepared for the local authority to assess the suitability of the buildings before they can be added to the protected list.

As the House will be aware, Nos. 14-17 Moore Street are protected under national monument status. An additional 13 buildings have been recommended for inclusion on the list by experts at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht as national inventory of architectural heritage. Buildings suggested for protection at the recent Dublin City Council meeting were included in the 2012 Miles battlefield report. In what way will 1916 buildings now deemed worthy of being added to the list of protected structures by Dublin City Council be made presentable for the centenary celebrations and is there a date set for the proposed Dublin City Council Moore Street forum on the future of the area, described by the National Museum as the most important historic site in modern Irish history?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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First, my priority is to acquire the monument, secure the buildings, restore them and develop the monument as a public commemorative facility in time for the centenary celebrations in 2016. I understand that there have been meetings with Dublin City Council and that it has plans to look at the wider issues around that area. That is a matter for Dublin City Council because under the Planning and Development Act, Dublin City Council, as both the local government and planning consent authority, is the most appropriate entity to manage the ongoing development of this important inner city area. Already sections of Moore Street, on the auxiliary lanes, are within the current O'Connell Street architectural conservation area, designated in July 2001, and the O'Connell Street area of special planning control adopted by Dublin City Council in September 2009.

My role, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is to assess what is best for the national monument itself in accordance with the terms of the National Monuments Acts. That is reflected in my recent recommendation to Government for the State to have the national monument restored as a publicly-owned 1916 commemorative centre. I do not have any powers under the National Monuments Acts to create a historical quarter in Moore Street. The reality is that the properties around the national monument are in private ownership, they are not subject to my remit under the National Monuments Acts and the redevelopment plans for the area have received fully planning permission from An Bord Pleanála.

Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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The Oireachtas adopted the preservation order. The Members of the Oireachtas are therefore the guardians of the national monument and, as such, are entitled to know the details of the planned purchase, the price of the purchase, how it was valued and by whom, etc. When will the details of the proposed purchase of the 1916 national monument be made available for consideration by Members of the Oireachtas? Will there now be a survey of the national monument buildings and their newly discovered 18th century cellars by suitably qualified staff and experts, and in a way that the 1916 national monument be made presentable for the centenary celebrations? Can the Minister explain what will happen to the €5 million of NAMA funding set aside for its restoration?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is engaged with the monument owners and other relevant parties with the aim of transferring the property into State ownership as quickly as possible. The Department is also examining options for how best the restoration of the buildings for use as a commemorative centre can be effected with a view to having it open to the public at the earliest possible date. In that context, I have set up a project steering committee comprising of all the stakeholders, including the Office of Public Works, to oversee the delivery of the project as speedily as possible and in accordance with overall best practice.

As Deputy McLellan will appreciate, there are fundamental matters to be dealt with before there is any question of getting the work started. The national monument is in the ownership of a private entity, the loans of which are under the control of NAMA. The Deputy can be assured that the intention is to have the restoration work completed and the commemorative centre up and running in the shortest possible timeframe. I cannot say at present how long that will take but all options are being looked at with a view to delivering the project with the minimum of delay. I will be consulting with the relatives. I will also be consulting with the traders on Moore Street because it will affect them as well. I hope that it will be completed in time for the 2016 commemorations and we will be doing everything to ensure that happens.