Brian Stanley decries commercialisation of the GPO and heritage sites

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I want to commend Deputy Osnodic, who has not just brought forward this proposal now, but he has, over the years, done great work as his family to make sure that the cultural and historical heritage of Ireland and indeed the city is maintained and enhanced. I think that the sacrifices of those who fought in the GPO, the fact that Piers read the proclamation on Cade Oocla and Poblach na Heron, from the steps of the GPO on Eastern Monday 1916, all of that shows the historic nature of this building and I know that as somebody from the country, as a culture, even when we were going to school, any time we came to Dublin we were always brought to see the GPO and it has a special place in the hearts and minds of Irish people at home and abroad. I think, you know, it was the founding, it was where RTE started off, Radio Erin, you know, it's hugely important and I have to say that, you know, the, what's missing from the government side is a bit of honesty around what's being defined, what's going to be defined as a commercial area. Yes, there is some, a small amount of units on one side of it, commercial units, but what's being proposed here, you know, many square meters, whereabouts in the complex? Will it be one of these beloved PPPs, public-private partnerships? Will there be private sector involvement? What we do know, and there are the questions I have in relation to this and I haven't heard any of that answered or being discussed. What we do know is, is that an English developer owns the site all around the back of it and I was shocked a number of years ago, I was only here a number of months in the Dáil when we went on a tour of the battlefield site around Moor Street and to see the derelict state that the National Monument was in and indeed the terrace of houses along each side of it. And number 14 to 17, the last meeting place of the provisional government, it's a disgrace the way it has been let fall into dereliction and action should be taken on it immediately. It's a shame on all of us that this has happened, but particularly a shame on the Department of Culture and Heritage and this government and previous governments. So, retail space, commercialisation, this should not happen. The city centre is full of commercial space, the city centre is full of Costas and takeaways and McDonalds and everything else, and they have their place, department stores, etc, etc. But there are loads of those buildings around. I certainly would not object to some of the proposals that have been made here from people and let's face it. Most people in Ireland, most people in this state are Republican to some degree or another. Most people aspire to a 32-county republic. Most people take their cue from the 1916 proclamation. Yes, there are elements of that proclamation that are not yet implemented, and that must be said. But I think, you know, to have an enhanced museum there, to use it for artistic purposes, for cultural purposes, you know, I think that should all be explored. For on post, the government is renting buildings and government agencies are renting buildings here, there and everywhere around the city and leasing them. Could some of those, particularly ones with an OPW or other similar functions, be partially located or located in the GPO? The National Monument at the rear of Moor Street, that needs urgent action, and I would just, you know, frame that in terms of the discussion here. I think that, as well, when I heard about this first, I thought, you know, it's not just the GPO, the Moor Street sites have been let fall into their election. Now the GPO is going to be increased commercialisation. Bodentown Churchyard, there are plans, and I've been on to Kildare County Council and your Department of Heritage about this, to build a commercial graveyard beside it. And Bodentown Churchyard is called Bodentown Churchyard, and as everybody here, a lot of people here, a lot of us go there every year, under one guise or another, and different strands of Irish republicanism go there. And nobody, nobody has a monopoly on that, and no political party has a monopoly on it. But what I would say is, is that that is another very important site, where the founding father of Irish republicanism is buried. And the whole, the whole foundation of republicanism is honoured, remembered, and people will recommit themselves to it. And what I would say is, is that it's a national disgrace that there will now be a commercial cemetery, adjacent to it, not called Bodentown Cemetery, but called Wolftown Cemetery. And if I have this right, some of the proposals include that the closer you'll be buried to the actual Bodentown Cemetery, and to the grave of Wolftown, the dearer the plots get, the plot to be buried in. So you can buy your plot there, but the highest prices prevail. And if that happens, it's an absolute disgrace. That is, that is a national monument. And Minister, you know this, as that, if I go to build a house, or a cattle shed, or something close to some kind of a national monument, like a ring fort, or something maybe less important than this, there'll be every sort of conditions put on it, and I'll be restricted from doing so. I won't be allowed to do it. But here we have a commercial development, and apparently some kind of visitor centre, a commercial one, that's now going to be landed adjacent to Bodentown Churchyard. And then we move on to the Children's Hospital. And we look at the debate around the naming of the Children's Hospital. Kathleen Lynn, a volunteer from the Citizens' Army in 1916, and all her work, and what she gave her life for, and dedicated her life for. And seemingly the government could not bring itself to call Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and the independents in government, could not bring themselves to call the hospital after Kathleen Lynn. So we make a bags of the Children's Hospital, we make a bags of Bodentown Churchyard, the battlefield site in Moore Street is in decay, and in dereliction. And now we're going to commercialise the GPO, commercialise it further. I'm all for how to use this state, this large space purposely, and as I said, I would be flexible enough regarding civic offices, and some other matters like that. Once there's significant museum and cultural dimension to it, and on post, it retains its place there. And that is used, as some speakers have already said, for artistic purposes. I think some of those suggestions are all well worth thinking about. So, it's time to put a stop to all this. And we have a department, and I would ask that the Minister and that the officials listening would take note of what I said about Bodentown, because the County Council will say their job is to just pass plan and permission, not to make a judgment on national monuments. But the Government Minister, which you are a member of, the Government has a responsibility to protect sites of national importance. And Bodentown, the burial place of Wolftown, is a national monument. I've checked this out. You know, the graveyard is owned by the County Council, that's fine, the existing Bodentown graveyard. And beyond the walls, that is private. But there must not be a commercial element to trying to commercialise Wolftown and profit from that, or turn it into any kind of commercial entity. It would be a disgrace if that happened. And the Children's Hospital, it's still not too late to call it after Kathleen Lynn, instead of just calling it the cross name of the Children's Hospital. So, what next? Will we have a proposal to put McDonald's up in the Rock of Cashel and Costa, or we won't have something like that? And I think, you know, Pierce read the Proclamation from the steps of the GPO, and no doubt he had an input into the wording of the Proclamation. He also wrote poetry. And in one of his poems, he said, more my naira, my claneen, I yield my water. And some of us will remember the words of that poem. And what I would say is, is that it's unfortunate now, that where Pierce and the other leaders and the volunteers, the young working class men and women of the Citizens Army and young volunteers, went in and took on the Empire, and knew the odds were stacked against them. They knew that before they went in there. But they knew what they were doing. And they were prepared to put their life on the line. And everything, you know, all the disruption to their families, and heartache for their families and everything else. And we are now prepared to allow that to be desecrated. I think it will be a national disgrace. So I think we need to revisit the words of Pierce and Connolly, and mellows and people like that, and bring ourselves bring a bit of reality back into this debate. Some things are more important than money. And I'll finish on this. When I heard about mixed development, I saw some of the most obnoxious developments during the so-called Celtic Tiger period. And I'm not against a commercial development. Commercial developments have their place. But when I hear this term mixed developments, I can bring it around and show them to you. And I'm sure everyone in this chamber can show you bad examples of them in their constituencies, where you had apartments piled on top of shop units, shop units piled in on top of residential areas, and all sorts of, and you finish up with vape shops, just vape shops, and coffee, Costa coffee shops, etc, etc, etc, and takeaway joints, and nothing else. And that would be an absolute disgrace. And if that's what we're talking about here is this mixed development, there's a cover for everything, I think it's a disgrace. I do think it would be helpful for everyone to be up front here, and for us to be notified of what exactly shows the detailed plans for this site. I would like to see them, and what exactly is being proposed here. And in the meantime, I'm supporting the motion. I'm going to go me to mark with. Thank you, Deppi.