National monument ownership and preservation
Adams challenged the Taoiseach over the handling of a national monument owned by NAMA. The Taoiseach said the 400-page judgment raised complex legal and financial issues, preservation work had begun, and a local consultative forum was being considered.
I might say something to the Deputy if he will let me finish. This is a 400 page judgment. It is a complicated judgment. It is the first time the High Court has ever determined that a national monument be on private property. It could end up in all kinds of contentious litigation in future. It certainly requires that the Government, in respect of whoever the Minister with responsibility for national monuments might be in the future, knows what it can do and cannot do. In fact, if one were to proceed now, without the Court of Appeal determining elements of this judgment, one could put at risk the determination of the national monument at Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street with regard to the expenditure being paid out for it and the work being undertaken in terms of restoration. Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil have legitimate propositions for the development of national monuments. The vast majority of land in this particular location is privately owned-----
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-----and could cost significant amounts of money. Work got under way last November to preserve the building. The Minister and officials studied the judgment very carefully. As I said, it runs to 400 pages. Of course, they have sought advice in respect of its findings.
People have very strong views about this. The Minister is anxious to have a consultative forum comprising the people of the area, not just public representatives, and others who have an involvement in this to see what the best way forward is. I have looked at it from many angles, and in view of the complex nature of the judgment given by the High Court, it is important that this be appealed to the Court of Appeal to straighten out, from the perspective of Government, the road ahead regarding national monuments, how one determines them, what one can do with them and whether one has to apply for permission for every single item from here on that will apply to every national monument around the country or whatever. The Government made that decision this morning.