Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I would firstly like to put on record my sincere appreciation to the members of the Group and to the Deputy himself for the report that they have recently presented to me. The Moore Street Consultative Forum, which was independently chaired by a former Departmental Secretary General, included local and Oireachtas political representatives, 1916 relatives, street traders and other stakeholders. It was set up in a bid to bring together the full range of views on the matter and it held its inaugural meeting in September 2016. In the meantime, it has reviewed numerous presentations and submissions from a range of interests, looked at a variety of official and other reports, interviewed relevant public officials and other experts and examined a large body of work from within its own membership. This extensive programme of work has culminated in the series of recommendations contained in the report that was presented to me in the last few weeks.   

I welcome the fact that the report is seeking a way forward based on consensus. I believe that its recommendations can help breathe new life into the area, while at the same time retaining its sense of history and tradition. In addition to its particular association with the 1916 Rising, there are other relevant aspects of the street and surrounding area that also need to be taken into account, including the range of State, public and private property holdings and ownership and, of course, the presence of the street traders themselves who do so much to give the area its unique ambience and place in the life of our capital city.

The report has looked carefully at all these elements and I am pleased that it signals the potential for a mutually successful outcome to be agreed between the relevant parties, balancing the perspectives of all the key stakeholders. I am fully supportive of this collaborative approach and I want to see the work already done being continued so that we can progress to the next stage and see tangible results on the ground.

Critical to this will be the establishment of the new Advisory Group that the report itself identifies as the most effective way to move forward with its recommendations. I have now proceeded with the setting up of this Group under the Chairmanship of Dr Tom Collins.

I understand that its first meeting is taking place later this week.