asked the Minister for Finance if he will ascertain the extent of the damage to the memorial statue to the late Madame Markievicz at St. Stephen's Green, Dublin; if he will state if representations had been made to the Commissioners of Public Works to have the statue removed from its present position to one where it would be more easily under the supervision and protection of the park attendants; and whether a claim will be made for damages, as in the case of the claim against the ratepayers arising from the damage done to the Gough Memorial, Phoenix Park.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Madame Markievicz Memorial Statue.
The memorial statue to the late Madame Markievicz in St. Stephen's Green was damaged to the extent that the tip of the nose and the right nostril were broken off. As the possibility that the damage was caused accidentally cannot be excluded it is not intended to make a claim in respect of it under the Malicious Injuries Acts. Representations were made to the Commissioners of Public Works some time ago to have the statue removed from its present site to a new site in St. Stephen's Green, but the commissioners considered that from the point of view of suitability and protection the new proposed site possessed no advantages over the existing site which had been selected by the Memorial Committee as suitable and desirable.
Would the Minister say now whether, if the friends who erected this memorial take part in the erection of a new memorial to replace the damaged one, the commissioners would agree to an alternative site?
We will certainly consider sympathetically any representations made by the committee in charge.