Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his interest in Moore Street, his response and his presence in the House. The reply is very disappointing and concerning because it indicates the State continues to wait for private owners and developers to determine what they are going to do, if they are going to do it. I appreciate those private owners are at the mercy of An Bord Pleanála and those who engage in it and that we have a planning process that needs reform, which we are in the process of doing, despite all the Opposition prevarication on that matter, but in the meantime the birthplace of our Republic is crumbling. The dereliction is shameful and the OPW needs to move forward. It needs to stop waiting for private owners to have the outcome of their planning applications determined. These planning applications may never result in one brick being laid or in anything being built. This is not the first time there have been planning applications on the adjacent sites and I am sure it will not be the last. Even if permission is granted, who is to say that developer will have the funding or will not flip the site? The State needs to step up, value our heritage and this site and get a move on with delivering a commemorative site on it.