Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, to the House.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State. This will be the sixth occasion I have raised the issue of the national monument on Moore Street. The national monument is the birthplace of our Republic. It is where the last surrender took place in 1916. It is an incredibly important location, historically, socially and culturally to us all and to our Republic. I hope the Minister of State is coming to the House with an update on progress that the State is making on restoring the national monument and creating at that site on Moore Street a commemorative centre to commemorate the heroes of 1916; to commemorate the birthplace of our Republic and to commemorate the fight for freedom and independence that we all enjoy today.

As well as being the birthplace of our Republic from a political and governmental perspective, it is one of the country’s oldest trading streets. It is one that has a rich history of commerce and trade. It is a street that has been sadly neglected for far too long, primarily by the local authority but also by those who own properties privately. It is a great shame to this city that Moore Street is so neglected and derelict looking and lacks the energy and attention that a street of its stature deserves. I am hoping the Minister of State will inform the House today on the progress that the State and the Government, and the OPW, are making and that he can give the House some hope and certainty that in the very near future the monument and commemorative centre will be open and that investment will be made on the street to bring it back to life and to restore it to its former glory and make it once again a vibrant trading street; a hub of activity and commerce and a hub of social interaction.

It is a part of the city and country that is incredibly diverse. Its diversity is part of its great richness and strength. The cultural opportunity that exists in that part of the city is enormous. We need to foster it and support it. The State needs to encourage it. A big step in that direction would be the opening of a commemorative centre. It would act as an example for how the State and we as a country value our culture and heritage and those who came before us. It would also act as a beacon for what can be achieved into the future of a Republic that is diverse, equal and democratic. I really do hope the Minister of State has a positive update for the House this morning.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Senator for her tireless campaigning for this development. It is the sixth time she has raised it in this Chamber and the second time with me. I know her work on the Moore Street advisory group has been key to the progress. I am happy to give her an update on where we are at and what is coming but first I wish to pick her up on one comment.

I love Moore Street. I grew up going down Moore Street and Henry Street. The Senator will be no different herself. It was just part of our childhood and going into do shopping in Henry Street or O’Connell Street, popping down to see the traders at Moore Street. I want to pick up on something the Senator said. Following the very sad night of riots in the city before Christmas, I was required to spend a lot more time in that part of the city and it was an honour to be required to spend more time there and with the traders and shops of Moore Street and that area.The Senator is dead right; it is a wonderful place. There is a lot of diversity, and while it is the cradle of our Republic, for me it is also very much the blueprint of what our Republic should look like in the next 20 years. It deserves that attention from both the local authority and central government. I echo those sentiments the Senator made and underline my personal commitment.

As she will be aware from previous statements here, the OPW has engaged a professional design team to progress the Moore Street project. These parties have for the past several months been engaged in a complete review and reappraisal of the project, taking into account the lapse in time since the earlier phase of work and addressing additional requirements of building compliance, sustainability and other factors arising in recent years since the project went into abeyance. Additionally, it has been engaged in a fresh reappraisal of the surrounding development landscape in Dublin 1.

As the Senator will be aware, a number of planning applications are in train in the immediate area around the Moore Street houses and these will, when they have been resolved, have a significant impact on the work of the national monument. This is especially important since it is clear these developments will, if they proceed as planned, alter the approach that had previously been envisaged as regards one of side of the commemorative site and will mean a large part of the earlier project in that location will have to be redesigned. However, given a number of these matters are under appeal to An Bord Pleanála, that issue is somewhat uncertain.

The review and reappraisal work concluded late last year and, as might have been expected, has given rise to significant adjustments to the project. This was done in a vacuum, given there is still no resolution to the five planning applications that surround the Moore Street houses on three of its sides. However, the OPW has continued to press on and has tried to plan for the project as best it can. Although the indicated changes are largely technical in nature and will certainly not affect the outcome of the project overall, they are nevertheless important in that they will necessitate some significant replanning of the work involved and will have a time implication. Following the presentation of the work of the design team before Christmas, these matters have been considered by the OPW project team, which has issued instructions to proceed. The future phases of work that need to be organised have, therefore, in recent weeks been programmed and work on the next phase is under way.

I appreciate that the Senator may be disappointed the project is taking time to advance. I share that disappointment but I caution that we are trying to bring forward two projects in tandem, one involving in the legacy buildings in Moore Street and the other a full new public building on a site to the rear of No. 15. Either of these projects on their own is a substantial undertaking but we are attempting to bring both forward together in an uncertain development landscape and this presents a considerable challenge. I should caution that the project is still in a potentially vulnerable position as regards any unforeseen issues that arise and any dates I advance at this stage must be regarded as provisional and subject to later change should the circumstances change. Nevertheless, given what we know now, this is the timeframe the OPW expects. A number of other matters have been addressed by the OPW most recently to progress the project, and while I would like to share them with the Senator, my time is running out, so I might do that in my supplementary reply.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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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.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I absolutely share the frustration and do not equivocate on that. Apart from the unresolved planning matters, however, significant preparatory work remains to be done, with designs to be finalised, before tenders can be invited. It would be remiss of me or the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to make promises that might later turn out to have been unduly optimistic, but I will absolute convey the sentiments the Senator expressed.

I want to touch on what has been done over recent months since we last spoke in this Chamber about this issue. Following the public tender competition, an interpretation and exhibition consultant has been engaged to shape and provide key design input into the future visitor experience at the site. This is an especially key role and the OPW is delighted to have secured a leading international firm of significant repute to fill this important position within the design team. A full digital survey has been undertaken and this will provide detailed photographic and digital mapping information that will be a key resource to the project, a complete record of the buildings as they stand and an essential record of the baseline state of the properties that will have multiple uses both practically and to provide a record of the physical fabric. Finally, and perhaps most important, a timber specialist is being engaged to carry out a survey of all the wooden elements within the houses and to provide expert advice on their current state and recommendations to ensure their conservation.