Vol. 137 No. 2
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state if any plans in connection with the reconstruction of
Dublin Castle were completed; and, if so, the dates and any further particulars with regard to tender dates, and if any indication was available as to the date of commencement of work, and if, in the plans, any time-table was laid down as to progress; and, if so, the stage which would have been reached in this financial year had the programme been allowed to proceed.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will give particulars of the stages of work the Fianna Fáil Government proposed in connection with the reconstruction of the unsound buildings in Dublin Castle; and, further, what stage had been reached in the preparation of plans and specifications for the new buildings and the date on which the Coalition Government decided not to proceed.
asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the urgency in connection with the reconstruction requirements of the major portion ofDublin Castle buildings, he will give any firm indication when it is hoped that work will begin, and an estimate of the number of people who will find employment in this work, separating skilled and unskilled.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to answer Questions Nos. 19, 20 and 21 together.
Pursuant to the approval in principle of general layout proposals for a comprehensive scheme of reconstruction at Dublin Castle, the stages of work first proposed were a new building in the lower castle yard for Revenue staffs, followed by a new building on the Castle Street frontage and a block of new buildings in the southern part of the castle precincts.
Plans for the demolition of certain buildings, and drawings, specifications and quantities for the structural framework of the Revenue building were ready in 1949, it having been decided that these preliminaries, which were in hands at the date of the Government's decision not to proceed with the scheme as a whole, should be completed. No further action was taken, but it may be stated that, if the scheme had not been deferred, the demolition work would by now have been completed, the erection of the Revenue buildings would have been well advanced and detailed plans for the other buildings would be in hand. It is estimated that the building work would have provided continuous employment on the site for about 100 skilled and 50 unskilled men.
As indicated in reply to a previous question, the Government decided on 12th November, 1948, not to proceed with the scheme.
I am not yet in a position to make a statement as to the resumption of the scheme.
