I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Seanad today to address my Commencement matter seeking an update on the GPO on O'Connell Street, Dublin. The GPO on O'Connell Street is so much more than just a post office. Designed by the famous Irish architect Francis Johnston, it was first opened in 1818 and has gone through many iterations in its lifetime of more than 200 years. In 1916 it was the centre point for the Rising. The building was largely demolished after 1916. It was not until the twenties that a decision was made by the new State to rebuild. The facade was retained but the interior was dramatically altered and the footprint massively extended to the point where, for over 100 years, the GPO has operated not just with the classical facade that we see with the columns on O'Connell Street but right behind it all the way down Henry Street, where there are the shops, offices, retail space, commercial space and the GPO Arcade.

The GPO has been largely de-tenanted by An Post, which has relocated most of its staff to its new offices by the Point in the docklands, . The post office is still operating as is the fabulous GPO museum, which brings to life our history. Masses of space remain however and the GPO has been earmarked, something the Government called out in establishing the Dublin city task force, a statutory agency dedicated to making the city safer, more livable and more vibrant for everyone, by naming the GPO as an anchor to that plan.

I am hoping the Minister of State can share with the House the progress that has been made by the Government and the Dublin city task force in developing a plan for the GPO. I am particularly keen to understand, and I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate, the huge public interest in the GPO. It is not just a place people go to buy stamps. It is sometimes a place where they go to protest when they have an issue. If a you want to build a romance, is a good place to meet. Everybody knows it and there can be no mistake where you are meeting. The GPO is intrinsic to Dublin and to our daily life, but also to our history, our culture and our very independence. There is a huge interest in the redevelopment of the GPO and I believe the public should have an opportunity to be consulted on this and have a say in what is going to be the next 100 years of our GPO. I hope the Minister of State can update the House today on that process. What has been done to date? Will there be an opportunity for public consultation?

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important matter and indeed for her leadership and advocacy on the redevelopment of the GPO in a way that will make sure it will play as strong a role in the next 100 to 200 years of this State as it has in our State's history up to this point.

The Government established the task force in May 2024 to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre, including O'Connell Street. The Dublin city task force took an evidence-informed approach in its work and published a report in October 2024, making recommendations, or Ten Big Moves, to improve the city centre's public realm, safety and experience. One measure identified in the Dublin city task force report was the redevelopment of the General Post Office. With the publication of the Dublin city task force report, an interdepartmental group was established and mandated by Government to prepare a high-level Dublin city centre implementation plan setting out how recommendations are to be taken forward, including arrangements for tracking progress, oversight and governance arrangements, and to assess the multi-annual cost and policy implications of the recommendations at local and national level to inform future departmental prioritisation within the overall budgetary process and parameters, the national development plan allocation and overall Government policy. Arising from its deliberations the interdepartmental group developed a road map for delivery of the Dublin city task force recommendations which includes the redevelopment of the GPO.

The GPO complex comprises more than 25,000 sq. m of accommodation and remains in use by An Post under licence from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, both as a public post office and for back-of-house operations. An Post back-of-house operations have largely decanted from the GPO complex to alternative office accommodation, but several hundred An Post workers remain operating from the GPO complex. In addition to the office and public post office, there are a number of retail premises in the existing GPO Arcade and on Henry Street.

The Office of Public Works is engaged with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport regarding the future transfer of ownership of the GPO complex. The OPW is leading on the redevelopment of the GPO complex as outlined in the Department of the Taoiseach's interdepartmental group report and road map for delivery and previous Government commitments. It is anticipated that the future GPO complex will incorporate at least some or all of the following: the retention of a public post office function; high-quality offices on the upper floors to provide critical accommodation to meet ongoing or additional Government requirements; significant cultural use or uses; retail components within the existing retail footprint; significant public realm enhancements at street level to encourage public use of the GPO complex.

A GPO steering group is in place since November 2024. This steering group is chaired by the Office of Public Works. Its membership includes representation from my own Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Dublin City Council and others. There are several GPO steering group work streams operational at present.

These include progressing property-related matters, the development of a non-statutory public consultation engagement process and the development of potential temporary meanwhile uses while the permanent redevelopment plans are being progressed.

That is welcome progress. I particularly welcome the fact that provision is being made for public consultation on the future use of the GPO. It is identified as a building that can accommodate many different uses and not just the post office and museum but also the commercial and retail space. That complex is over 2,500 sq. m. It is an enormous building complex when you are inside it. The facade is impressive but does not do justice to the space that lies behind it. We need actively and ambitiously to pursue the use of the facility for cultural uses.

We already have great cultural institutions on and near to O'Connell Street, with the Abbey Theatre and Gate Theatre. The Ambassador Theatre has reopened. There is also the new library on Parnell Square and the Hugh Lane Gallery. The GPO presents a real opportunity to again foster and support culture in the heart of the city centre. We recently lost The Complex. Others are struggling for space in the city. I believe that the steering committee responsible for managing the property and those meanwhile uses should engage with local cultural organisations, which have a national reach, to animate the property in the interim before the full redevelopment commences. I understand, and perhaps the Minister of State will confirm, that will take place in 2029.

I again thank the Senator for raising the matter. I hope I have reassured her that from a Government point of view, the GP will remain as a public-facing post office. The process under way is to enhance it to ensure we bring in more people and it becomes more central in the life of O'Connell Street and Dublin city centre than it has been in recent years. That work will be led by the Office of Public Works, OPW. The long-term ownership of it will come to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and we are engaging with the process to decide how that will happen. The OPW is leading the work.

We want to see the post office aspect of the GPO become enhanced and attract more people, and become even more of an active part of O'Connell Street and Dublin city life. We also want to ensure that the very large complex in the GPO footprint is maximised in its use. We want to ensure it is living and delivering for the local community and retains the important retail aspect of the part of the building that faces onto Henry Street.

This is an issue that the Senator has been leading on in Dublin city and within her constituency. Her leadership and advocacy have been important in making sure that the process we have seen so far has stepped forward. I know the Government looks forward to working with her and seeing this important work step out in the best possible timeframe and that investment is made to ensure that the GPO will be an important part of our future as it was of our history.