Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I appreciate that this issue is not one of his portfolio responsibilities and I am grateful to him for giving of his time to address it. I acknowledge the importance he places on national monuments and the historic heritage of our capital city. I welcome that a multidisciplinary professional team, including architects and conservationists, is being appointed. It is encouraging to hear the work will commence and that it will be comprehensive, sensitive and ambitious.

However, it is hard at this point, so long into the process and after hearing so many promises, to have much confidence in there being any firm timeline for action. In fact, the Minister of State was not provided with such a timeline before coming here today.That indicates to anybody listening or taking an interest that there is no confirmed timeline. I would appreciate if the Minister of State could go back to the OPW and express to it the deep disappointment of this House, all the stakeholders in the national monument, the wider community and anyone who has any interest in our heritage, and if he could ask it to bring forward a date for the commencement of works as soon as possible.