Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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435. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the majority of the Garden of Remembrance at Parnell Square is inaccessible to wheelchair users or those with impaired mobility; if and when an accessibility appraisal was carried out; the outcome of this appraisal; his plans to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35396/13]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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When the Garden of Remembrance was designed in 1940 and opened in 1966 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Easter Rising the provision of universal access was neither a planning requirement nor considered a necessity. Universal access to the sunken pool and grassed areas was not provided.

As part of the planning application submitted to Dublin City Council in October 2012 for the proposed ‘Journey of light Memorial’ to the Victims of Abuse in Institutions to be located at the western end of the Garden of Remembrance, an accessibility appraisal, which took into account the existing layout of the Garden, was carried out and submitted to Dublin City Council in November 2012. Planning permission for the proposed Memorial was granted on 19th May, 2013. However this was appealed to An Bord Pleanála before the 6th June 2013 deadline and a decision of An Bord Pleanála is expected by 8th October 2013.

If approved, the Journey of Light Memorial project will address the majority of accessibility issues including the sunken pool area. Universal access to the main plinth area, where the Children of Lir statue is located, will then be the outstanding issue and it is hoped to address this in due course, mindful that any proposed interventions will have to have regard to the uniqueness and status of the Garden.