Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to the Senator for raising this issue and for putting up with me responding to it. I do so enthusiastically, not just on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, but as someone who, like the Senator, is a true-blue Dub and is proud of our nation's history and who, like the Acting Chairman, is an historian by background and has spoken on this matter as a Senator.

When this issue was previously raised in the Chamber last November, my colleague and then Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, stated that work was proceeding to advance the nomination of a professional design team for the crucial first conservation phase of work. He further stated that given the complexities of the various procurement and legal issues surrounding the appointment of the companies involved, this work had been considerably delayed and he was unable to say with certainty when it might be concluded. On that occasion, Senator Fitzpatrick expressed deep frustration at the delay. In this, she reflected the feelings of many stakeholders, both in the area and more broadly across our country, who wish to move this vital project forward.

Having consulted again this week with officials in the Office of Public Works, OPW, they have assured me that matters have progressed in recent weeks and they have made significant strides in ironing out many of the issues that have delayed the project to date. The news I have to report to the Senator and the House this afternoon is much more positive than was the case in November. There has been a significant amount of contact between the OPW and the various parties in recent weeks to address relevant contractual matters. I understand these are close to being concluded satisfactorily. I expect that once a conclusion has been reached, the appointment of the relevant professional parties can be made. I look forward to having news on this shortly from the Minister and will be delighted to see the team put in place finally to progress the project.

The team to be appointed includes the critical individual professional disciplines, namely, conservation architects, mechanical and electrical services engineers, structural and civil engineers, quantity surveyors, archaeological consultants and fire safety engineers. I understand we should have news on the appointments very shortly, subject to some final administrative details being addressed. It is not envisaged that this process will cause any further delay in light of the efforts going on in the background.

There have been good contacts and meaningful exchanges between the OPW and the various parties involved to sort out all the complex and necessary details to bring this matter to a successful conclusion. Colleagues have developed a positive and honest relationship with the proposed team through these contacts. The project team in response will move forward quickly and will, I understand, meet formally upon appointment to begin work immediately. Its first task will be to set out the formal project programme and establish both short-term and longer-term targets for the individual disciplines in order that they can immediately thereafter begin substantive work.

The immediate target for the project team will be to review the position with regard to the project that was previously under way and was stopped by order of the court. Given the time that has elapsed, it will be critical to evaluate the design that was previously being implemented, consider whether anything has materially altered in the intervening period and, if necessary, make any changes that are appropriate. There may, for example, be changes needed to take account of amendments to the building regulations in the past few years, or there may have been changes to the structure of the houses themselves that need to be examined. Any material changes will have to be discovered as soon as possible and their implications assessed and planned for.

Adherence to the national monuments ministerial consent process is a critical part of this analysis. We must ensure at all times that the parameters for the project that were set out in the court process are fully observed and any changes deemed necessary are fully explained and documented. Once this process has been done, which will take approximately six to eight weeks, the team will immediately move forward into the detailed design phase, which is necessary to move to tendering for the main capital works project, including the appointment of a main contractor to undertake the physical works to the site. That will lead to a commencement, the date of which, unfortunately, I cannot share with the Senator this afternoon. If I could do so, I would. When we know the date, it will be conveyed to her at the earliest opportunity.