Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her proposals in relation to the Moore Street site, Dublin 1, if these have been amended given the recent court judgment in relation to the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13288/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The work being undertaken by the State to honour the 1916 leaders was designed to fully conserve Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street and to provide a 1916 commemorative centre on the site. The intended works would have involved major underpinning and stabilisation of the buildings as well as re-roofing and a programme of comprehensive repairs that would have retained all pre-1916 fittings, fixtures and structures. The intention was to have the project completed and the commemorative centre open to the public during the current centenary year. The historical significance of No. 16 as the final headquarters of the 1916 Rising was the determining factor in the decision to place a preservation order on Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 under the National Monuments Acts in 2007. Collectively, Nos. 14 to 17 represent the most original, complete and continuous section of substantially intact pre-1916 buildings on Moore Street. This was also a significant factor in the Government’s decision to acquire the buildings in 2015 and to initiate the restoration project in the absence of any other prospect of the increasingly essential and urgent conservation works being carried out.

Following the High Court ruling, progress with the commemoration centre and conservation project in Moore Street has ceased and arrangements are now being made to have limited works, as approved by the court, carried out as soon as possible to preserve and protect the buildings for the time being. The objective of these works will be to safeguard the buildings, in so far as this is possible, until a permanent solution is identified. In that context, I continue to examine the court’s findings in so far as they relate to the Moore Street project itself and to the general operation of the National Monuments Acts. I am also examining, in consultation with other Departments, whether there are broader planning and development implications, especially in terms of potential impacts on infrastructure projects such as housing provision, roads, broadband and other developments.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister knows and as Deputy Tóibín said succinctly, the Government and the public are very far apart on this. We discussed this issue and my belief is that irrespective of the legal issue, which is a complex one we must park for today, there is a need for people to sit around a table, express the different views and try to build a consensus. Will the Minister consider some process of engaging with all the different views, including the different views among the political parties, many of which do not share the Government's view on this, to see if we can move this forward in a way that satisfies the vast majority of people? In my view, the Government has lost public opinion on this one.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Minister will recall that as Tánaiste, I fought very hard to get the funding to have the particular houses taken over, which was a very significant step. Now that there is a new Government and the Minister has returned to the Department and given what she said about the significance of heritage, is there not an opportunity at this point to open the dialogue out? As probably the only Deputy from the north inner city in the House at the moment, I note that from the point of the view of the Rising, much of what is between the canals is historic and significant in terms of the history of Dublin and locally. I suggest to the Minister that there is an opportunity here to have an opening out to a concept of Dublin as a historic battlefield site in the context of the core areas affected by the Rising.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I want to see a solution here. As Deputy Burton said, I have already committed to buying, and got agreement from Government to buy, Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street. I have committed taxpayers' money to this important and historic project. As a Government, we were taking four buildings which were the national monument. They are the ones that were designated as a national monument. We spent €4 million purchasing them and we are looking at between €7 million and €8 million to carry out the works to restore the four buildings. To be clear, that is what we have been trying to do. I was operating on the basis of the national monument at the time.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The facts are clear enough. The Department believes it should preserve a small number of buildings and the public believes the block bounded by the two lanes should be preserved and developed in a sympathetic way. My question is whether the Minister is willing to consider some process or forum or other way forward which is very inclusive to try to get common ground on how we resolve this issue. In the absence of that, our next option in opposition is to proceed with the Bill we put forward by bringing it to the committee and, through it, to the pre-legislative process and then into the Oireachtas. It appears that without a forum that is the only way forward. As an alternative to that, is the Minister willing to consider an open dialogue with the interested parties, including representatives of the main political parties, so that we can try to marshal all the facts on every side and then find a common way forward?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will take brief contributions from Deputies Burton and Tóibín.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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To expand on what Deputy Ó Cuív said, the programme for Government states that the Government will develop and publish an updated national heritage plan. I suggest that is an opportunity to take a broader view and develop a broader vision of the appropriate conservation and heritage of 1916 Dublin.

We could have a more inclusive discussion so that we might get past the impasse.

At a couple of hundred pages, the legal opinion is as long as a novel. Dealing with this issue will be no mean legal challenge. Will the Minister indicate whether she will be willing to consider a broader approach to bringing all of the parties together and having a broader concept of Dublin between the canals and the heritage of 1916?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What about the people outside the canals who were involved in 1916? Pembroke Road is beyond the canal.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister mentioned that €1 million per building was paid. I wish to understand-----

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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No.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Some €4 million.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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For four buildings, or €1 million per building. Who made that costing for the Minister? If she cannot provide that information now, she might furnish it to us. On what basis was the costing made? It seems high for that part of the city.

As highlighted in the court case, a banner was nailed to the national monument. Did the Minister give permission for that to happen?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Sorry-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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A banner was nailed to the national monument. One hundred nails went into it, causing damage. This matter was highlighted in the High Court's decision. Did the Minister give permission for it or did it happen without her permission?

The Minister is the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and yet the heritage of this city is being downgraded for a shopping centre. She is not the Minister for shopping centres.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I had nothing to do with the shopping centre. Planning permission for it was given by Dublin City Council. It is in private ownership and the site was not a national monument at the time. I want to be clear about having had nothing to do with the shopping centre, as there is misinformation to the effect that we are levelling Moore Street and erecting a shopping centre, which is not a fact.

In reply to Deputy Ó Cuív, I am willing to consider a process whereby people can work together to move this issue forward. It is an important building and I want to see the development of a fitting tribute to the leaders of 1916. I want an open dialogue and am happy to sit down with my Oireachtas colleagues to find a way forward.

Deputy Tóibín mentioned the buildings' price. What price does one put on the national monument where the last council of war was held? It is a very important building. I will provide the Deputy the details on how we arrived at the costings and valuations. As to the banner, I do not know where the idea came from that the nails had damaged the national monument. I do not know anything about that but I will have the matter checked out and revert to the Deputy. I gave permission for the wrap to go around the building. It was erected as part of the 2016 commemorative programme and looked well.

Regarding Deputy Burton's points, I am happy to sit down with my colleagues to consider a way forward.