Dáil debates

Thursday, 12 November 2015

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

National Monuments

10:00 am

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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5. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the person who costed and valued the sale of the NAMA-owned properties on the Moore Street battle site in Dublin 1; if there was a survey with a report available; if there will be a tendering process for contractors involved in the restoration; and when a timeframe will be drawn up for the works. [39631/15]

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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This question relates to the costing and valuation of the NAMA-owned properties on Moore Street and whether a survey was carried out on that. The rest of the question deals with the tendering process and the timeframe. I had tabled the question before the Minister announced the details of the monument.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government decided to acquire the national monument at Nos. 14–17 Moore Street because of its historical association with the events of Easter 1916. This decision demonstrates and acknowledges the historical importance of the site in a clear and substantive way and ensures that the long-term future of this historic landmark will be preserved and safeguarded. Bringing the monument into public ownership will also allow the development of a 1916 commemorative centre on the site.

The legal steps to bring the national monument into the ownership of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht have been completed. The purchase from the previous owner was effected with the assistance of NAMA and the consideration of €4 million was arrived at in the normal commercial manner.

I am now pressing ahead as a priority with arrangements to implement the Government’s decision in full. My Department concluded a tendering process for the scheme of conservation works initiated when the property was under lien by NAMA in order to get construction work under way as speedily as possible to prevent further deterioration of the fabric of the national monument buildings. This conservation work has now commenced and will be completed during the 2016 centenary year. Provision has been made to facilitate managed public access to the monument for some centenary events.

The work will be ongoing but we will try to allow some people in during the centenary events around Easter. The work will be painstaking and careful because most of it will involve restoration to bring the site back to its condition in 1916.

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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The announcement of plans for the commemorative centre is welcome. However, there are questions. The Minister has paid €4 million for what is a derelict site. Why were these buildings not handed over to the State by NAMA, instead of the State having to pay €4 million for a derelict site? The Minister and I have been in these buildings so we are aware of the state of them. On the tendering process, were there other tenders? Where did the figure of €5 million come from?

Was an approach made to Chartered Land, appealing to its sense of culture or history, if it has one, to take a more innovative approach to the area and to consider having more small business there, which would be in keeping with the historical area, so that it would be a living street? People lived there for hundreds of years, and there is also the street trading tradition. Such an approach would make the street a vibrant, living street again.

Regarding the monument, is the Minister sure that it will be curated, restored and preserved in accordance with best international practice?

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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On the last question, I am certain that it will be done according to best international practice. A steering committee is being established to oversee the project. It will include officials from my Department, the National Monuments Service, the Office of Public Works, the OPW, the National Archives, the National Museum and Dublin City Council.

I am very satisfied that the steering committee has a lot of expertise and a huge amount of interest in this building. On Tuesday, Catriona Crowe from the National Archives and Lar Joye from the National Museum were in the building with me as I went through it again. It is important that it is done carefully and that it is restored to its 1916 condition. Deputy O'Sullivan has been there. There are holes in the wall and one can see where the tunnel was broken through. It is important that that is illustrated properly and that the bricks that were put in are taken out carefully. There is a lot of work to be done but I have no doubt that everyone will be working together to make sure it is done to the proper standard.

10:10 am

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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The Minister seems to be adopting the Chartered Land ministerial order that was obtained under a planning application and which would also demolish the whole area around Nos. 14-17 Moore Street. It is important that what goes around the national monument is appropriate to it. I still do not understand why the Government had to buy back the national monument, which, as we know, was a derelict site.

Have there been any sanctions or fines for Chartered Land? It held Nos. 14-17 Moore Street for a number of years. Has it been fined for the way in which it allowed it to become so derelict? There were problems with the roof and the local authority had to step in at times. Chartered Land seems to have gotten away with anything it wanted to do there. It will demolish everything around it. It allowed a national monument to fall into disrepair and dereliction, yet there was no fine or sanction against it.

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The €4 million figure has been in the public realm since 31 March 2015 when I announced the Government decision to acquire the national monument. This figure was arrived at in the usual commercial manner. The Deputy will recall that before the Government stepped in, Dublin City Council had turned down a deal involving the acquisition of the Moore Street national monument in part exchange for Nos. 24 and 25. As part of that proposed transaction, there was a €4 million price tag on Nos. 14-17 Moore Street. The €4 million was agreed upon by NAMA in the normal commercial manner. The wider transaction was rejected by the council, so the Government stepped in to save the national monument. There was a serious risk to the fabric of the buildings from continued non-intervention. Given the Government's commitment to safeguarding the site and making it publicly accessible during the centenary year, it was much better to move in, and we are using the existing planning application. Time is not on our side and the building is deteriorating all the time. We are using the existing planning permission and we can start now. Most of the works will be restoration work. Because of the particular circumstances of the project, involving historically unique and sensitive buildings, and the imminence of the 2016 centenary, I believe that this approach represents the most practical means of delivering a 2016 commemorative centre.