Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I call on the Government to add Lissadell House, County Sligo, to its portfolio of heritage properties. Lissadell was the childhood home of Constance Markievicz, one of the most remarkable activists produced by revolutionary Ireland. She was born into an Anglo-Irish family and lived a life of luxury and elegance at Lissadell. She is immortalised in the beautiful painting outside the Chamber, which was painted by her husband, Count Casimir Markievicz. From 1908 Countess Markievicz turned her back on luxury and the welfare of the Irish people became her most absorbing interest. Constance was the first woman to be elected to the British Parliament in 1918 and the following year she became Minister for Labour in the first Dáil.

I call on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, to make a policy decision to purchase Lissadell House. I also call on the Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Parlon, to make the necessary arrangements to purchase and run Lissadell House. The house should not be put in mothballs but should be made available to local historical—