asked the Minister for Finance when the derelict building at the bottom of the lower yard in Dublin Castle will be demolished; why the exterior thereof was recently redecorated; and the time involved in, men engaged on, and cost of, redecorating.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Castle Derelict Building.
12.
The building concerned stands on part of the site on which the new Stamping Branch premises for the Revenue Commissioners will be erected. Its demolition will form part of the contract for the new building. At this stage I am not in a position to indicate when the work is likely to proceed.
The front of the building was very shabby and in view of the number of distinguished guests visiting the Castle in connection with the recent Presidential inauguration it was decided to improve its appearance by a minimal amount of redecoration. Four men were engaged on the work over a period of five days and the total cost of labour and materials was about £75.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary recall that five years ago this House was told that the building would be demolished within two years and that it was evacuated 15 years ago because it was dangerous? We have come to a pretty pass when, in order to impress distinguished guests the majority of whom were Fianna Fáil hangers-on, and many of whom were attending a Fianna Fáil jamboree, £75 had to be wasted on decoration of this whited sepulchre purely to maintain a false image of prestige.
I do not agree that £75 spent on the preparation of Dublin Castle for the Presidential inauguration was by any means wasted money. Deputy Ryan will recall that the inter-Party Government scrapped the plans for the general reconstruction of Dublin Castle. If these plans had not been scrapped at that time, the whole job would have been done by now.
Would he like to say why we have not done something about it in the past ten years? Are we now so poor that we have to waste money decorating the front of dangerous buildings because we have not the money to knock them down?
Mr. O'Malley
You would not spend £12 on cleaning a picture.
Deputy Ryan is flying against the decisions of his own Party when they were in Government.