Seanad debates

Monday, 12 July 2021

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage

 

9:30 am

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to be too provocative but I want to say that I know where Senator Moynihan is coming from. I will use this opportunity to talk about the Phoenix Park. There is vast real estate in the Phoenix Park which I have had the privilege of visiting recently. Many Senators will know that the HSE has St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park, which has significant issues with dereliction. There is an old military school, which is empty and derelict. There is a beautiful Anglican church, which is locked up. There are amazing mews and old military buildings. It is an amazing place. I would love to see it developed and I would like to see houses and homes in it.

The LDA is developing Shanganagh Castle, which is an amazing site. It was once a prison. A beautiful building will come back to the local authority. The LDA has an amazing plan for the Central Mental Hospital. They are all purpose-built, period, amazing buildings. Had the local authority and a number of other people gone inside, they would have made everything protected structures and we would not be doing anything there either. We can be imaginative. They do not all have to be institutional, modern buildings. I believe that the LDA has the capacity, and I am confident that it has the willingness, to attract architects, designers and new people to reimagine our built living space. Why can we not have public realm, theatres and interaction at the top? Why must everywhere have shops on the ground floor, offices on the next floor and three or four residential floors? Turn it all on its head. I do not know if anyone has been to Malmö in Sweden, where there are theatres and libraries at the top of buildings. It is a matter of reimagining the opportunities to build.

I am not singling out the Phoenix Park but we cannot stand over the amount of amazing buildings in this national park that could be put to use. A number of gate lodges are all derelict and empty, all of which are protected structures. There are buildings all around the park. There is a substantial opportunity to develop St. Mary's Hospital and the military barracks, which are at the edge of the park, at the lower road. Perhaps we have the foresight, vision and boldness to move out and close down the clapped out, disgraceful facilities that are there. Everybody will know about St. Mary's Hospital from television and various news media over the last year. The staff do a great job. Many of the patients have no alternative services. Would it not be fantastic if we could have a financial package that would see everyone transferred out of there and a new development and purpose-built health facility for the people who were there?

There are many barracks in this city. They will be politically difficult for people to take on board but many could be relocated and the buildings could be turned into housing schemes. I support what Senator Moynihan is talking about. I did not want to let this opportunity go without highlighting the vast real estate and potential in the Phoenix Park. We should have the courage, guts, energy and imagination to develop them appropriately and sensitively, to revitalise that part of our city. With all this amazing public realm all around us, would any one of us not want to live up there? Let us get out of the box, imagine, push out the boundaries, and empower the LDA to look at projects like this. That would be a good day's work.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.