Written answers

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Departmental Funding

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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215. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he or his officials informed the chairperson of a group (details supplied) of his Department’s participation in and funding of a compensation package offer to street traders prior to the group submitting its final report to him in May 2021. [22298/22]

Photo of Malcolm NoonanMalcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The May 2021 report of the Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG) recommended that an adequate and appropriately structured compensation package should be put in place for the Moore Street traders as soon as possible. The topic of compensation for the traders was raised at various meetings of the MSAG and my Department was represented on the group and therefore aware of this.My Department was at no time directly engaged in talks with the traders. My Department had engaged in some limited preliminary talks, led by Dublin City Council, regarding compensation for the traders for a range of separate schemes of works to be carried out by different parties in the area, each of which would disrupt the traders’ business. 

While the report of the MSAG did not explicitly mention the State participating in any compensation package for traders, the State itself will be carrying out very substantial development works on the National Monument at No’s. 14-17 Moore Street. In that context, and against that background, it is axiomatic that the recommendation of the MSAG report for a compensation scheme for street traders for disruption and disturbance also contemplated the work by the State.

It should be stressed that any compensation that might be provided by the Department would be solely in respect of works at the national monument which fronts fully on to Moore Street and the area where the street traders do their business. No compensation package has been agreed by my Department.

The Chairperson referred to was made aware by the Department that preliminary talks were being engaged in as referenced earlier.

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