Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would also like to be associated with the remarks that have been made about the staff of this House. They have done a tremendous job over the years, particularly in the past number of months which have been very difficult for everybody. This Chamber has been our fourth home in the past 12 months. We have been in the temporary Seanad Chamber, the restored Seanad Chamber, the Convention Centre Dublin and now we are here in the Dáil Chamber. The staff are due great credit for having everything running smoothly even though we have been all over the place for the past 12 months.

I would like to suggest an issue into which the Cathaoirleach might look. We spent a considerable amount of money, through the Office of Public Works, OPW, to bring the temporary Seanad Chamber, owned by the National Museum of Ireland, up to a high standard for sittings of the House for two and a half years. That Chamber should be used again by the Oireachtas for committee meetings. There will be a lot of pressure in the context of meeting rooms when we return in September because joint committees will be up and running and we will need that space. I remember at that time the former head of the National Museum of Ireland, Dr. Pat Wallace, said that the staff of the museum cried when that space was given to the Seanad. We spent a considerable amount of money on it and I would hope that we would be able to use it in the future. There will be a need for it, and I ask the Cathaoirleach to investigate the possibility of using that room for committee meetings or sittings of the Seanad in the future.