Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday several Members of the House and members of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage received an invitation from Ned Iveagh to go the Iveagh Markets next week to determine how a gift from his forefathers to the people of Dublin can be saved. I have raised this issue, both in this House and at the committee, on a number of occasions because the Iveagh Markets which is on Francis Street in Dublin 8 is gem of Dublin. It was given by the Iveagh Trust to the city of Dublin back in 1906. Then 20 years ago, it was sold by the city council to the publican, Martin Keane, in order to be redeveloped as a market. Since then, the market has been allowed to fall into a disgraceful state of dereliction. It is estimated that it will take €23 million to bring it back to a basic standard and to undo the damage caused by 20 years of neglect. I am calling on an action plan for the Government to save the Iveagh Markets and the Iveagh building.As this has dragged on, and I initially raised this at Dublin City Council in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the market has fallen into more and deeper dereliction. We have heard an awful lot of soft words when it comes to the importance of the Iveagh Markets and saving it, but one man has effectively been allowed to destroy the gem of heritage for the city of Dublin that is the Iveagh Markets. We are crying out for markets in Dublin but, more important, we are crying out for that building to be open for the local community in the Liberties.

I ask the Deputy Leader to write to the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Noonan, who I know has a personal interest in this yet has not acted on it since he first came before the committee more than a year ago. I ask that we all make the effort to visit the Iveagh Markets next week to see Ned Iveagh and see what has been allowed to happen to that building. If we are serious about our heritage and our city, this is one tangible step we can take to save the Iveagh Markets because we will not be able to get it back if it is destroyed. The roof is falling in, there is water ingress, trees are growing in it, and it is being used as car park for some bands playing at a pub. It has been handled disgracefully. As the political system waits, the courts prevaricate and the publican has refused to do anything on it, that building is falling into deeper and deeper dereliction, which means it might not be saved and brought back. I ask for a full action plan for the Iveagh Markets to be brought forward and for the Government to fund the market, bring it back up to standard and open it for the people of Dublin.