Dáil debates
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Other Questions
National Monuments
3:45 pm
Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps that can be taken regarding the national monument, Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street, in the interim before the court case; if she will request the Office of Public Works to carry out safety and maintenance work deemed necessary; and if she will provide the additional funding for these works. [40693/17]
Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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My question relates to what can be done with the national monument of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street before the resolution of the court case about the site. Has the Office of Public Works, OPW, the necessary resources to carry out whatever remedial work may be needed in the meantime?
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for her work on both the forum and the advisory group on Moore Street.
The original schemes of works to fully conserve the national monument buildings at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street were suspended early last year on foot of a High Court ruling. As an interim measure, and pending a permanent solution being found for the future development of the national monument, a limited scheme of essential protective and stabilisation works was completed last July. These works were specifically approved by the High Court and have been carried out to the highest possible standard by an expert contractor under the supervision of one of Ireland’s pre-eminent conservation architects. They have been monitored all along by the Department’s archaeological and architectural personnel, including the acting chief archaeologist.
The essential works completed were confined to preserving and protecting the buildings for the time being. They were limited to re-roofing, essential structural stabilisation, urgent works to the external fabric and necessary measures to secure the boundaries of the State-owned buildings. Progress on the works was charted in a fortnightly published report with photographs. Several representatives from the Moore Street consultative group visited the site while the works were under way. The works were endorsed by a highly experienced independent architect appointed by the Moore Street consultative group. The OPW is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and management of all national monuments in State care, with some 1,000 monuments at approximately 750 locations around the country.
The OPW assumed responsibility for the maintenance and security of Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street buildings when the site was vacated by the contractor in July. On foot of the recommendations of the Moore Street consultative group, a follow-up Moore Street advisory group has been set up and is independently chaired by Dr. Tom Collins. This group has met on several occasions. I understand the Deputy attended at its most recent meeting on 19 September at which a full and detailed briefing on the condition of the buildings, as well as the proposed approach to their ongoing maintenance, was given by the senior conservation architect from the OPW.
Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I noted from the OPW’s presentation that there could be a need for it to act or react promptly, that it should not need to have to go through a whole bureaucratic procedure and that it should have the finance to do that.
We know the court case is coming up at the end of the year. Whatever the outcome, there is the possibility of an appeal, meaning we could be looking at a further year in the courts. Meanwhile, Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are in a fragile state. We are also coming into the winter and these vulnerable buildings could be subject to more damage and disrepair.
In the meantime, can we not start the conversation about the national monument and what is going to be there? One of the recommendations from the consultative group was that we would capture the moment in time approach to the internal restorations of these buildings that were key to the events of 1916. Can we do anything in the interim? It is a national monument and owned by the Government. It is in the Minister's remit to start the conversation to ensure that when a decision is made and the works start, all the preparatory work has been done in the meantime. Does the Minister accept the recommendations in the consultative group’s report?
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The essential protective works that have been carried out had the aim of safeguarding the fabric of the buildings for the coming years. After this period, it can be expected there will be clarity and agreement on the future development of the buildings in the light of future court decisions and what emanates from the deliberations of the Moore Street advisory group. In these circumstances, and given that there are no further works approved by the courts, it is not envisaged that further interim works will be undertaken by the OPW other than routine maintenance and security.
Funding has always been and will continue to be available. If something urgent should arise, the Deputy can rest assured that I will make funding available. I am constrained by the court's decision. If a matter of urgency arises, we can ask the courts to see if we can carry out further work to safeguard the building. In the end, I want to see that Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street are restored to the state in which they were in 1916.
Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I still believe we need to do more in the interim to start a conversation. We had the Lord Mayor's forum and consultative group’s reports. There is a common vision as to what we would like to see in Moore Street. We could do more while waiting on the court case. Anyone who has walked the route from the GPO to Moore Street and into the lanes knows the historical significance of so many of the buildings there, not just Nos. 14 to 17. I know hindsight is great, but we could have done more back in the day when the Government was buying Nos. 14 to 17. The historical significance of the other buildings is referred to in the Shaffrey report, commissioned by Dublin City Council, and in the Frank Myles battlefield report, which Chartered Land commissioned.
Will the Minister consider putting a preservation order on these buildings? No. 10 was the point of entry and where the 1916 leaders spent the night. It was the field hospital where the wounded, including James Connolly, were treated by Nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell and Nurse Julia Grenan. When the Minister gave her press release after our report came out, it was rather vague as to what she felt about the recommendations. There is a need to get her commitment to these recommendations and that she will bring this to Cabinet in the near future.
Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister might feel I do not give her credit for good work she does. However, I agree the ministerial forum on Moore Street was a good initiative by her, as was the advisory group it subsequently created.
We have hit a roadblock, however, with two of the recommendations from the ministerial forum, namely, that there should be an understanding of what the battlefield site should look like and that a planning permission would then be put in with regard to that new vision. As it now stands, the High Court case is having the effect of sterilising the whole Moore Street battlefield site. The traders have done their damnedest to create an energy around the enterprises in which they are involved. However, we could be looking at court cases for four, five or six years. In those four to six years, if either side decides to bring it further down to the Supreme Court or to Europe, we are looking at a cultural heritage opportunity being shelved in the centre of our capital city. That would be a major disappointment.
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The work of the advisory group is important. I know it is working with the different stakeholders in the area to come forward with proposals on what can be done on working with the new developer and owner.
The issue with the High Court judgment is that it gives rise to much wider concerns for my Department about the administration of national monuments, as well as for other Departments and official bodies about public and social infrastructure provision. The orders of the High Court in all three sets of proceedings have been appealed. The appeals have been lodged on the advice of those other Departments and bodies in accordance with clear and unambiguous advice from the then Attorney General. The appeals are being processed through the courts and, as such, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on them. The High Court decision on what constitutes a national monument has implications for any infrastructural project across the country. This High Court decision had wider implications than Moore Street. One of the reasons the decision had to be appealed was the implications it would have for infrastructure projects across the country.