Vol. 350 No. 13
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £90,936,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1984, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Public Works; for certain domestic expenses; for expenditure in respect of public and certain other buildings; for the maintenance of certain parks and public works; for the execution and maintenance of drainage and other engineering works.
The net amount sought for the Vote for Public Works and Buildings for 1984 is £90,936,000.
The Office of Public Works is responsible for a wide range of activities. It is involved in the design and construction of offices and other buildings and in the purchase, leasing and disposal of property. It undertakes extensive civil engineering works and is responsible for the preservation of important aspects of the country's heritage, both natural and man-made. The scope of its activities is reflected in the diversity of professional skills it employs. In addition to the administrative grades to be found in other Government Departments, its staff includes architects, engineers, valuers, professional accountants and surveyors and representatives of other specialist disciplines such as archaeologists and naturalists.
The salaries of this staff and associated expenses are met from Subheads A and B of the Vote for which a sum of £13,942,000 is provided in the Estimate. Provision for the continuing development of new computer systems designed to improve efficiency is also included.
Subhead D covers expenditure on the purchase of sites and buildings for various State services and an amount of £500,000 is sought for this purpose in 1984.
The amount sought for Subhead E is £27 million. This represents an increase of about 5½ per cent on the actual amount expended in this respect in 1983.
I have circulated among Deputies copies of the list showing the individual projects covered by this subhead and this gives a good idea of the varied nature and widespread location of these projects.
A large proportion of the money is needed for the erection of new office buildings to replace old, dilapidated and unsuitable buildings in which some Government services are at present housed.
The Office of Public Works have a difficult task in relation to many building projects in satisfying the various interests involved while at the same time complying with all the necessary procedures which bind a Government Department and also working within restricted resources. For this reason the Office are often criticised for delays which are not of their making.
In addition to office accommodation Subhead E includes provision for specialist type projects for the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Departments of Finance, Justice, Education, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and Social Welfare as well as those arising from the responsibilities of the Office of Public Works in the conservation and amenity field.
At Leinster House, the new security railings and lights have been erected and the reopening of the Visitors' Entrance to the House is in progress. Additional accommodation provided in the College of Science has been occupied by the Oireachtas.
Accommodation for Courts of Justice staff will be provided in a new building on the site of the former Four Courts Hotel. Removal of administrative and allied staff from the main Gandon building will facilitate development of vacated areas there for court purposes.
Blocks 1, 2 and 3 of the new Garda headquarters at Harcourt Square have been occupied and occupation of Block 4 is now about to take place. A few comparatively small areas remain which are earmarked mainly for specialised services.
Major inroads are being made on the Garda station building programme. Divisional Headquarters have been completed at Tralee and District Headquarters at Carrick-on-Shannon. The gardaí at Santry, Dublin, have recently moved into new premises. Among the projects in progress are Divisional Headquarters at Galway and District Headquarters at Mayfield and Gurranabraher in Cork and at Cahirciveen, Nenagh, Arklow and Belmullet. Sites have been acquired and planning is at an advanced stage to provide new headquarters at other centres including Tallaght, Limerick, Ennis, Killarney, Shannon and Sligo.
I am pleased to say that 1984 will see the completion of the restoration of the former Royal Hospital at Kilmainham which is one of our oldest public buildings, little changed from its foundation 300 years ago and considered to be one of the finest examples of classical architecture in the country. It is being faithfully restored to its former magnificence by the Commissioners of Public Works who are also providing modern facilities and services such as heating, lighting, lifts etc. An interdepartmental committee has been set up to consider all aspects regarding the future uses of the restored building.
This year will also see the completion of major adaptation works to premises at 2-3 Kildare Street for the National Library. Works are in progress on the adpatation of the former Jacobs premises at Bishop Street to provide new centralised headquarters for the Stationery Office. Planning is in hands to rehabilitate the houses in Merrion Street which have been vacated by the Department of Fisheries and Forestry and also to restore Dublin Castle where some buildings through age and structural failure have deteriorated to such an extent as to be almost in a dangerous condition.
In the provinces, new centralised Government offices have been completed in Navan and Thurles and the new Government offices in Cork will be ready for occupation this summer. Offices for staff of various Departments in Carrick-on-Shannon have been completed and the erection of new offices in Arklow is progressing satisfactorily. The construction of a new, badly needed Employment Exchange at Newcastle West has started and the construction of new offices in Sligo is about to get under way while planning is at an advanced stage for offices at Kilkenny and Letterkenny. Other developments being planned include Government offices at Portlaoise, Tullamore, Tralee and Wexford.
Two important projects for the Department of Agriculture are in progress at Abbotstown — a Hormone Residue Testing Laboratory and a Veterinary Diagnostic Unit. There is provision also for the improvement and fitting-out of various embassies abroad and for the works being undertaken at Dublin Castle and at Iveagh House to provide facilities in connection with Ireland's Presidency of the EEC in 1984.
Work is proceeding on the provision of a car park, toilets, picnic areas and pedestrian routes at Glendalough. This is the first stage of a programme for the improvement of visitor facilities at this major national monuments site and is being planned in consultation with the Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Bord Fáilte and the Wicklow County Council.
A provision of £100,000 has been included in respect of development works on the Shannon navigation and for minor expenses in connection with the survey of the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal. In addition, the Commissioners will be spending almost £700,000 under Subhead F.1 on the day-to-day maintenance of the navigation. These provisions are indications of a very real commitment to the River Shannon and an acknowledgement of the valuable contribution it makes not alone to our tourism industry but also to the enjoyment by our own people of many water-based activities.
Indeed, due in no small measure to the success of the Commissioners with Shannon navigation, the Grand and Royal Canals are also to be placed under their control to be managed and developed for recreation and public enjoyment. Legislation to give effect to the transfer of the canals will be introduced shortly by the Minister for Communications.
I am seeking a total amount of £42,391,000 in respect of Subheads F.1 to F.4 which cover the costs of maintaining, furnishing, leasing, heating and lighting Government offices and various other buildings used for State purposes, and the costs of maintaining certain State-owned harbours, the River Shannon navigation and our various national parks.
I am sure I do not have to emphasise the importance of proper maintenance of buildings and property generally. The Commissioners of Public Works have a duty to ensure that the properties in their care in which large amounts of public funds have been invested should not be allowed to deteriorate.
In recent years the Commissioners have been making significant advances in helping the public to attain a greater appreciation of the natural and cultural resources in their care through the publication of guidebooks and leaflets and the use of audio-visual programmes. Last year booklets were published for Garnish Island and for Killarney National Park and an audio visual programme, which was highly acclaimed, was produced for Killarney. This year it is hoped to produce one for St. Enda's Park in Rathfarnham.
The acquisition and development of Glenveagh National Park has been referred to in previous years. Following completion of the first stage of an extensive building programme part funded by the EEC Regional Development Fund, this park will be opened to the public during the coming summer. It will be the third National Park in this country, the others being Killarney and Connemara National Parks.
Glenveagh National Park in North-west Donegal comprises 25,000 acres of mountain, moorland, lakes and woods and is the home of the largest herd of red deer in this country. The objective in establishing the National Park is to conserve this outstanding wilderness in such a way that people may visit and appreciate it and yet leave it unspoilt for the generations to come.
The gardens of Glenveagh Castle, which are among the country's premier gardens, will also be opened to the public this year. A range of booklets relating to various aspects of Glenveagh as well as an audio-visual show are at present in preparation.
I am seeking a sum of £1,929,000 under subhead F2 to meet expenditure by the furniture division of the Office of Public Works on the maintenance of furniture and furnishings in State occupied premises throughout the country and in our embassies abroad. In addition to its maintenance responsibilities, the furniture divisions are also charged with the furnishing for occupation of all new State premises and provide a variety of services to State and semi-State bodies on a repayment basis. The division operate a small furniture factory and restoration workshops alongside extensive furniture stores and a direct delivery service in the greater Dublin area.
In the discharge of their responsibilities for the furnishing of Government Offices the division restore and re-use existing furniture to the maximum extent possible. Notwithstanding this it is necessary for the division to procure the great bulk of their supplies from furniture manufacturers and consequently they are a major customer of the furniture industry. The division have for many years pursued a conscious policy of purchasing only items which are produced and finished to a high standard. This policy has been influenced both by the need to get the best possible value for the taxpayers' money and the desirability of providing a lead for the Irish furnishing industry to produce to the highest possible standards in order to compete on the home and export markets. In this regard I have been gratified to note from recently published statistics that the gap between furniture imports and exports is steadily narrowing.
In furnishing Irish Embassies abroad the division operate a policy of providing high quality Irish furniture wherever it is reasonably possible to do so. I believe that such practical demonstrations of Irish ability to produce and deliver items of the highest quality anywhere in the world assist in the overall export drive.
I am seeking an amount of £16,334,000 in 1984 in respect of the provision for rents for premises leased by the State through the Commissioners of Public Works.
The advantages of providing purpose built, State-owned buildings for State services are obvious and to this end the commissioners are undertaking an on-going office building programme which in time will decrease the State's dependency on rented premises. Some renting, however, will no doubt continue to be necessary to provide immediate solutions to urgent accommodation problems. Given the current restrictions on the filling of vacant posts in the public service it is unlikely that any significant demand for additional accommodation will arise during this year.
A provision of £7,556,000 is required under subhead F4 for heating and lighting State accommodation. The commissioners are very conscious of the need for conservation of energy and have issued a list of simple economy measures to all Government Departments and offices which it is hoped will be followed. In consultation with the Department of Energy the commissioners are looking into the use of natural gas for heating premises for which they are responsible. One plant which has already been converted for gas use will serve as a pilot project.
An amount of £10,000 is required for subhead F5 to cover the final cost of the works to Waterford courthouse which have been completed. The cost of these works is repaid by the local authorities to the commissioners.
I come now to one of the most important functions of the Commissioners of Public Works. I refer to the arterial drainage programme which has been running since the passing of the Arterial Drainage Act in 1945. In March last this House discussed the programme in some detail in Private Members' time. In the course of that debate both the Minister for Finance and I informed the House that the Government had decided that a thorough review of arterial drainage should be carried out. It is only right that a large programme like this, ongoing for four decades, should be examined in some detail to ensure that it is still necessary and that, if it is, it is cost efficient and that the benefits conferred by the programme compare favourably with the costs. I am glad to inform the House that the Commissioners of Public Works have completed such a review which I am examining at the moment.
Since the drainage programme was debated here as recently as March last I propose to confine my remarks now to an outline of what will be done in 1984. Amounts totalling £14,599,000 are required under subhead G1, G2 and G3 of the Estimate to provide for the survey, design and construction of arterial drainage schemes together with the maintenance of upwards of 30 completed schemes. This year work will continue on the collection and analysis of hydrometric data on many river catchments throughout the country and on the specialist studies required to be completed before the design for a drainage scheme for the Dunkellin-Lavally catchments can be finalised.
On the construction side, work will continue on the Boyne, Maigue, Corrib/Mask/Robe, Boyle and Bonet schemes, which will give employment to about 750 men. A new scheme, the Ulster Blackwater, which is being undertaken jointly with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture is due to start this week. The necessity to complete the lengthy and complex procedures prescribed in the drainage legislation on both sides of the Border militated against an earlier start which I had hoped would be made in 1983. The EEC provides substantial grants annually towards the cost of drainage construction works. The cost of maintaining completed schemes is met from subhead G3 initially and is recoverable from the county councils concerned.
A sum of £1,954,000 is required in respect of subhead H for the purchase of engineering plant and machinery, the purchase of stores and the payment of wages to the staff of the central engineering workshops.
An amount of £205,000 is required under subhead I to cover the cost of maintenance of completed coast protection schemes such as those at Rosslare, Murrough, County Wicklow, and Moville. The expenditure is recoverable from the county councils involved. Some survey work will also be undertaken in 1984. A sum of £2,867,000 is required under subhead J for the conservation and preservation of national monuments in State care, for archaeological excavations and for archaeological survey work. Conservation of national monuments is an on-going activity arising out of the statutory duties of the Commissioners of Public Works under the National Monuments Acts. Work is in progress at many national monuments throughout the country and there is hardly a county in which major monuments activity of one sort or another is not taking place.
An important aspect of the conservation of our heritage of monuments and sites which should not be overlooked is the continuing employment this activity gives for traditional crafts and skills. The evidence for this is to be found at any of the monuments at which major conservation work has been carried out.
I am happy to report that the 18th century building known as the Casino which William Chambers designed for the Earl of Charlemont's residence at Marino in Dublin will be ready to be opened to the public this year. Consideration is being given to the acquisition of a tract of land around the Casino from Dublin Corporation with the intention of landscaping it in such a way as to create for the visitor an impression of the original setting.
Grants for research archaeological excavations are being made again this year under a scheme operated in consultation with the Royal Irish Academy. The major site under excavation is at Knowth, County Meath, in the Boyne Valley megalithic cemetery.
As has been widely publicised in the past year or so monuments, particularly field monuments, are continuing to be destroyed in the course of development, particularly agricultural development. Much of this destruction is often due to a failure to recognise certain monuments for what they are and, when they are recognised as antiquities, a failure to appreciate their importance as an irreplaceable part of our heritage. It was decided to tackle this problem on two fronts: firstly by making precise information available on the location of monuments and secondly by creating an awareness among property owners of the national importance of monuments in their ownership.
As previously announced, the archaeological survey is now concentrated on the preparation of inventories of sites and monuments for each county. The County Louth inventory is almost ready for publication and work on the preliminary surveys for inventory purposes of counties Cork and Galway by University Colleges Cork and Galway respectively is proceeding satisfactorily. As part of the work on the inventories a separate sites and monuments record is being compiled for each county. These records are basically numbered lists of the monuments accompanied by a set of correspondingly annotated 6" Ordnance Survey maps. They are a basic planning tool for all concerned with environmental change as they pinpoint the location of monuments and take away the element of guesswork that may exist in some cases. The County Louth sites and monuments record was launched recently.
Publication of inventories, sites and monuments records and the results of surveys generally will not of themselves halt destruction of monuments. Our legislation also requires to be strengthened and I hope to be in a position very soon to introduce a Bill to amend the National Monuments Act. Above all else, what is needed is a change of attitude among the public at large towards our monuments so that they will fully appreciate that these monuments represent an essential part of our heritage.
With regard to the second element in this strategy the commissioners have recently established contacts with the Farm Development Service of the Department of Agriculture, ACOT, Macra na Feirme and Foróige to try to encourage a greater respect for these monuments. I would hope in time to see these contacts paying rich dividends.
In addition to the works programmes provided for in this Estimate, the commissioners also undertake works on behalf of various other Government services on a repayment basis.
The major programme which commenced in 1979 for the provision of buildings required for the development of the telecommunications system, is drawing to a close. To date about 440 buildings have been completed and I expect a further 60 or so to be handed over by the end of this year. Approximately £12 million will be spent this year on this programme. Other building programmes being undertaken by the Office of Public Works include those for the prison service of the Department of Justice, a special project for the Department of Fisheries and Forestry at Killykeen Forest Park involving the construction of holiday homes, harbour works for that Department and also for Roinn na Gaeltachta and works at postal buildings for An Post.
The building of primary schools was another programme which in the past was undertaken by the Office of Public Works. In recent years the annual expenditure on that programme was in the region of £25 million to £30 million. As Deputies will be aware, that work is now to be transferred to the Department of Education. Up to now the OPW have been involved in this large-scale project.
The activities of the Commissioners of Public Works are widespread and because of this I am sure many Deputies will wish to contribute to this debate.
I have identified many facets in the OPW who are working to preserve much of our heritage. This is a very important Vote and I will listen with interest to contributions that may be made and I understand that I will have a few minutes to reply.
I will be calling on the Minister to conclude at 10.20 p.m.
I was very disappointed when I saw that the Estimate for the Office of Public Works was down from £97,726,000 last year to £90,936,000 this year, and something should be done about this. Very few people realise the extent and variety of the work of the OPW. They provide services for every Government Department. They are a great barometer for assessing a Government and their performance. When the OPW are left short of finance every Department in Government feel the pinch. Everyone knows that when the OPW are left short of resources the Government are not going too well. There is a great shortage of finance this year in the Estimates for public works as I have told the House, a £7 million shortfall.
The work of the OPW can be examined under three headings — engineering, architecture and conservation. I would like to talk about drainage. Five of our major rivers are being dredged at present. They are the Boyne, the Maigue, the Corrib-Robe-Mask, the Boyle and the Bonet. This is a large spread which covers a great deal of country. The trouble is that not enough money is being provided for arterial drainage and the arterial drainage work is proceeding very slowly, especially on the Boyle and the Bonet which in fact are proceeding only at half-cock. All of these schemes were started by a Fianna Fáil Government, were carried on successfully and efficiently and progressed very quickly. Under the present Government very little progress is being made on this work and there is a definite delay in implementing the arterial drainage schemes.
Four of those rivers are 50 per cent EEC funded and, because the Government have starved arterial drainage of resources, we are not getting what is rightfully ours from EEC funds. I believe also that the cost benefit analysis on the rivers that are to be dredged in the future is not being done. That is a disgrace. We should be planning for the future. Do the Coalition want to terminate the arterial drainage programme altogether?
We were informed early this year that the OPW were letting off 260 workers from arterial drainage. We could never get a satisfactory explanation of that even though we raised the matter here in the Dáil. This was a retrograde step in view of the fact that half the wages of those people was being paid from EEC funds and the Government did not save anything in laying off those workers. The Government must give them redundancy payment and pay-related benefit whereas they should accept the EEC funding and pay the balance in wages, thus boosting the morale of those workers who would otherwise be unemployed and adding to the dole queues. Brussels must be having a great laugh at us for not accepting funds that are available to us. I would like the Minister to state how much his Department paid out this year and last year in redundancy payments.
I notice also that no money is provided in the Estimates for a survey of the River Shannon. About two years ago we were offered a 50 per cent EEC grant for the purpose of conducting a survey on the River Shannon but that survey has not commenced yet. When Fianna Fáil were in power they tried to recruit engineers for that work by way of advertising but the project has been put on the shelf by the Coalition. This represents a further loss of EEC funds.
It is very necessary that the River Shannon be dredged but the dredging cannot be commenced until such time as a survey has been completed and a cost benefit analysis produced. The Shannon floods the nine counties of Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, Westmeath, Tipperary and Limerick. I am confident that in addition to the 50 per cent grant towards the cost of the survey the dredging would qualify also for a similar level of EEC grant. The dredging of the Shannon would provide from between 1,500 to 2,000 jobs while making viable many more acres of land. There is a very close link between arterial drainage and farm land. We hear a lot about making farms more viable. Arterial drainage is a very important factor in this context in so far as many underdeveloped small farms are concerned. In the absence of an outfall for water farmers are not in a position to go ahead with drainage schemes. Arterial drainage is the only answer to that problem. In addition to dredging the big rivers we should consider a new scheme for the dredging of small rivers. In my county, as in many others, there are rivers very much in need of dredging. However, I do not see much chance of any such scheme while the Coalition remain in office. They are not making much money available for arterial drainage. Therefore, I appeal to the Minister of State to put a strong case to the Government for the allocation of more moneys for this very important work.
I note from the Book of Estimates that there is a reduction of 3 per cent for arterial drainage in 1984 compared with 1983. If we take into account inflation and other factors, the reduction is more of the order of 15 per cent. The allocation for services for future schemes is reduced this year by 31 per cent. This is proof of the Government's lack of commitment to agriculture and of their attitude towards farmers.
Agriculture is our most important industry. Consequently, it is the duty of the Government of the day to ensure that the industry thrives and prospers. There are many rivers on the list for dredging. There is the River Lee which floods the land around Tralee as well as many other acres of land. A survey on this river was carried out in 1980. I am appealing to the Minister of State to have the dredging begin as soon as possible. Another river that is much in need of dredging is the Dunkellin in Galway. We have heard a lot about that as a result of parliamentary questions and also during various contributions in the House. The Minister might let us know what the up-to-date position is in regard to that project. Yet another river that should be dredged is the Blackwater which floods the towns of Fermoy and Mallow as well as many acres of fertile land in that area.
I am not inclined to blame the Minister of State for the lack of finance for the Office of Public Works. It is the responsibility of the Government and of the Minister for Finance in particular to provide those moneys. But I suggest that when the Estimate for the Office of Public Works is being discussed in the leadup to the budget, the Minister of State would be in a position to sit in at Cabinet meetings. I say this because the Minister for Finance who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works will be trying to keep expenditure down and consequently may not have much interest in financing for the Office of Public Work.
I note, too, that in the Estimate this year there is an allocation of £200,000 for coast protection work. This is a very paltry sum in view of the extent of the problem. Anyone with a basic knowledge of engineering would know that coast protection work is very costly. Many areas need coast protection work. The Magharees in County Kerry are first on the list of the Office of Public Works. If action is not taken there very soon, they could become an island in a very short time. Also, in County Kerry an area between Tralee, the Spa and Fenit is suffering greatly from coastal erosion. This is also on the list of the Office of Public Works. County Waterford also has extremely serious erosion in Ballyvoyle, Stradbally, Ardmore and Belair. The same problem exists in County Dublin and should be looked after immediately. I am very disappointed at the lack of progress in coast protection work. I suggested last year that if we applied to the EEC we might get a grant from them to help us to do some of this essential work.
The preservation of our national heritage has for a long time been one of the great success stories of the Office of Public Works and I should like to congratulate the Minister and his office for the new projects which I understand will be completed this year. They include the Casino, Marino; Ennis Priory in County Clare; Glenveagh National Park and the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham here in Dublin.
The network of national monuments on which major conservation work has been carried out countrywide is impressive. What is more encouraging is the policy of providing facilities. I am sorry this year that there is an 8 per cent reduction in the provision for national monuments. We have some very beautiful national parks, as mentioned by the Minister of State. We have Killarney in my own county of Kerry, Glenveagh in County Donegal and Letterfrack in County Galway. There is a nucleus of one in the Burren in County Clare which at some time may be a national park. There is also the Phoenix Park which is not a national park but an urban one, the largest urban park in Europe. This park is under the auspices of the Office of Public Works and I am very disappointed at the way in which that office are treating this park. Under Fianna Fáil 130 people were employed there, but the number has been reduced now to 119.
And they are talking about running buses through it as well.
I also notice that a superintendent has not been appointed there for the last 12 months. I tabled a question about this some time ago and noticed that straight away the Office of Public Works advertised the job through the Civil Service Commission. According to the Minister's speech, he has not yet been appointed. Due to the absence of a superintendent and the reduction in the workforce, the maintenance and upkeep of the park is not as good as in the past. Some of the pathways have deteriorated and grass has been left on the margin. Other aspects are not up to the same standard as four years ago. I appeal to the Minister of State to take a special interest in seeing that the Phoenix Park is better kept.
Hear, hear.
Dublin has more than one million people and many of those are unemployed. An urban park like this is a great asset to this city and should be properly maintained as an amenity area for the enjoyment of these people. As referred to by my colleague, Deputy Wilson, there was a recent suggestion from the Minister for Transport that buses should run through the Phoenix Park.
My God.
That would be disgraceful.
Hear, hear.
I hope that the Minister xof State in the Office of Public Works is strong enough to fight this and to ensure that it does not happen.
Hear, hear.
We have some of the most beautiful parks in the world. There is a duty on the Government of the day to keep them that way, and a duty to encourage our people to visit them. I had the privilege at one time of visiting national parks abroad and was amazed at the number of people who visited them in other countries — much greater than here at home.
I suggest that the Minister write to all the principals of our national schools, and perhaps also post-primary schools, sending them a booklet or guide book on these parks. The teachers might include one of these on their excursions every year with their students. Almost every school has a day's outing for sightseeing and they would welcome the opportunity of visiting our national parks and should be encouraged to do so.
We have a beautiful national park in Killarney, not in my constitutency but in that of the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. I have often heard that this park is one of the most beautiful in the world. It is very well maintained and I congratulate the people in the Office of Public Works, both in Dublin and Killarney, for the excellent job that they are doing down there. There are 21,000 acres of land and lakes. It is a tremendous asset to County Kerry, and especially to Killarney, in attracting tourists. One could call Killarney the Mecca of Ireland in that respect.
There is a very large herd of red deer in Killarney. It is very important to ensure they are preserved. I would like to congratulate everybody in the Office of Public Works who took steps to preserve that fine herd of deer. The Minister of State said that there is a herd of deer in Glenveagh, which he said was the largest in the country. I always thought there were more in Killarney but I accept the Minister of State's word.
I have a great interest in farming and there is a very good herd of Kerry cows in the national park in Killarney. It is possibly the only herd of pure bred Kerry cows we have. For the past couple of years those cows have been suckled by calves. I suggest they should be milked by machine so that there milk yield can be recorded. My information is that when those Kerry cows were milked their yield was 1,000 gallons per annum. Many people would not believe that. I appeal to the Minister to have those cows milked for a couple of years and if the yield is recorded it will be very beneficial to the agricultural sector. Kerry cows have very rich milk and they would be a good mixture with Friesian cows.
Another national park of great prominence is in Glenveagh, County Donegal, which comprises 25,000 acres. The Minister said the first phase of the development in Glenveagh is completed. I would like to congratulate him and the Department on that. He said that the gardens of Glenveagh Castle will be opened to the public this year. What is happening to the beautiful castle in Glenveagh? When I was in the Department I visited that castle and I considered it should be opened to the public. I would like to hear the Minister's views. This would be very beneficial to the Donegal area.
There is a very attractive national park in Letterfrack. Have they bought any additional land? During my time in the Office of Public Works they were negotiating the purchase of some mountain land adjoining the area. I hope the Connemara ponies in that park are still there. I have not been in that part of the country for some time. I thought it was very fitting to have Connemara ponies in that national park. I would like the Minister to tell us what is the up-to-date position about the development of the Burren in County Clare. Even though it is not yet declared a national park I know negotiations were taking place to purchase extra land there. The Burren is unique.
The staff of the Office of Public Works deserve congratulations for the tremendous effort they have made in acquiring and developing our national parks. There is one man outstanding over all the rest, the former chairman of the Office of Public Works, Mr. John McCarthy, who has now retired. He was responsible for the purchase of all our national parks. He purchased Killarney Lakes and Glenveagh for very little money. He deserves congratulations for his negotiating ability and doing a very worthwhile job. He was dealing with two very important people, who were the owners of those national parks, Mr. McShane and Mr. McElhinney. It was not easy to do a deal with those men. The country owes him a debt of gratitude. I hope the other officers of the Office of Public Works will not mind me paying a compliment to Mr. John McCarthy.
The Minister referred to the provision of State buildings around the country for the Civil Service. He referred to a building in Tralee and said work there was progressing slowly. Tralee badly needs a Civil Service building. A very suitable site was purchased from the UDC in the middle of the town. The Office of Public Works would not have got this site without my intervention when I was in the Department. The Government have not made any effort since they took office to erect that building. It is needed to house all the civil servants in the Tralee area where 200 civil servants are employed in various Departments. They are fragmented around the town at the moment and it would be very beneficial to have all the different Departments under one roof in a central position where the site is.
We have the Revenue Commissioners in Tralee, I suppose we would be better have three prefabricated buildings at the back of the existing building and the working conditions there are deplorable. They certainly need new accommodation. The Department of Agriculture have three different offices in Tralee. One of these is in the office of the county committee of agriculture one mile outside the town. These offices are vastly over-crowded and the floors have sunk about six inches due to the weight of the files. The offices are very unsuitable and too far out of town. Many farmers have great difficulty in getting there. I appeal to the Minister to have an office erected in Tralee to cater for these 200 civil servants.
I am delighted that the Department are negotiating the transfer of the Royal and Grand Canals. The development of these canals as amenity waterways can only take place if sufficient manpower and financial resources are available.
The Commissioners have done marvellous work on the Shannon. I notice that £14,000 is provided for the quay at Drumsna but the estimate last year was for £18,000 and I should like to know why it has been so much reduced this year. Perhaps they are finishing the work at Drumsna but I would be grateful if the Minister would give that information. The sum of £15,000 is to be spent on the new quay at Lough Kee. This is a very small amount of money for such work. I notice that there is a fairly adequate amount provided for a new quay at Williamstown. I welcome these new developments on the Shannon. It is a great attraction and the OPW are to be congratulated on the work they have done there during the past 20 years.
I am disappointed at the provision of £427,000 for the erection and repair of Garda barracks. Some barracks are in a deplorable condition and it is essential that the Garda should have proper working conditions. If we expect good results from them we must provide them with good accommodation.
There are 214,000 people registered as unemployed and £1,325,000 is being provided for employment exchanges. That is not enough. My information is that some of the employment exchanges in Dublin city are in a shocking condition and many of those in country areas are not in a good state. The Minister should try to get an increased allocation for this purpose, although I presume the money is made available to him by the Department of Social Welfare.
I am disappointed that the Department of Education are endeavouring to take over the building of national schools from the OPW. This is a retrograde step because the OPW have very well trained staff. I do not know whether a decision has been made but I am aware that there is a dispute about it. Perhaps the Minister would say whether there will be duplication of staff. The OPW have the staff to deal with this type of work. If the Department of Education take over the building of national schools will such professional people have to be employed by the Department of Education as well as having them in the OPW? If that is so, I would completely disapprove. This task should be left with the OPW.
We recently had an Adjournment debate on the question of selling sites which were acquired for the decentralisation of the Civil Service. I was very disappointed to hear that these sites were to be sold. I happened to be in the OPW when the 13 sites were purchased. Some of the urban councils and county councils as well as private individuals went out of their way to co-operate with the OPW in facilitating the purchase of sites in anticipation of Civil Service offices being built. Some of the places which were to benefit were Killarney, Limerick, Nenagh, Cavan, Ennis, Letterkenny and Galway. I appeal to the Minister of State to retain those sites. When Fianna Fáil come back into office we will start the decentralisation programme again and this will mean the transfer of many civil servants to the country. This project was welcomed by the Civil Service and would have afforded many rural people living in Dublin an opportunity to go back to their own towns. With the present state of the property market these sites will not make very much money and it would be better to retain them. Any money acquired by their sale would not be of much benefit to the Government.
I was very glad to hear the Minister of State speak about furniture. I remember visiting Inchicore where the Office of Public Works manufacture furniture. I ask the Minister to ensure that the furniture in State offices and in our embassies abroad be made at home. Our products are as good as those in any other part of the world.
I was disappointed that there was a reduction of nearly £7 million in the Estimate for the Office of Public works. I am not blaming the Minister of State but I ask him to do his utmost to sit in next year when the Estimate for his Department is being discussed. The Office of Public Works carry out important work but they have been starved of resources because they have no one to make their case for them when the Estimates are being discussed. The personnel in the section are tremendous and they are entitled to the resources they need to do their valuable work.
Before Deputy Wilson speaks I should like to remind him that the Minister will conclude at 10.30 p.m.
The Chair is afraid that I will be too loquacious but I can assure him I will finish in the time he has mentioned. I regard it as a privilege to speak briefly on this Estimate and to support our spokesman, Deputy McEllistrim, in his wide-ranging and penetrating analysis of this Estimate. I know that with regard to the heritage aspect of the OPW he is in a fine tradition. I had the privilege of knowing his father and many times I discussed with him the valuable aspects of our heritage which he supported and fought for when he was a young man and afterwards as a Member of this House. For that reason, I am very privileged to support Deputy McEllistrim in his contribution on this Vote. I am also happy that the Minister of State in charge of OPW, Deputy Bermingham, is also a member of a family who appreciate our heritage and the many aspects covered by the OPW. I had the privilege of meeting his late brother who was a distinguished poet in the Irish language and who, by definition, would have been interested in that aspect of the Vote.
I regret that there has been a reduction in the Estimate from £98 million in 1983 to £91 million in 1984. There are some areas in which I have a special interest. As Deputy McEllistrim has said, the OPW is a fine department, covering a wide range of professional skills and expertise. For that reason the office should concern us to an increasing extent. Throughout the world the entire ecological movement, which is in part social and in part political is commanding more attention as the years go by. For that reason the OPW will become more important in our future deliberations in this House.
Some years ago I called attention to the deterioration in the facade of the National Museum, in the section of it in the Kildare Street forecourt and also in Kildare Street itself. The facade is a classical one. I remember mentioning to the late lamented Deputy Henry Kenny how important it was to do something about it, and in particular to remove the greenery that was on the stonework. I note some constructive movement in that area and I hope that in the future we will give more attention to this matter than we have done in the past.
If one looks closely at Leinster House, the museum and the library, one will see they are not nearly as well preserved as they might be. They do not look as well as the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Merrion Street entrance to this building. It is important to ensure that those buildings look well. The Bank of Ireland have done a very good job on their building which was the old Parliament building and the GPO is also being attended to at the moment. I hope that the complex here will receive attention. In the few moments snatched at lunch-time during meetings of the Forum, I used to walk around the Castle area and I observed that the Church of the Holy Trinity needs special attention. Small sections of windows are unglazed and some have some form of boarding. That little gem of a building should get proper attention.
Deputy McEllistrim mentioned various buildings and enterprises for which the Office of Public Works are responsible. When we were in Government we had plans for the decentralisation of a section of the Department of Agriculture to Cavan town. I regret this has not been proceeded with and I support Deputy McEllistrim in his plea that we do not shut off the availability of sites in the area. The town of Cavan is crying out for the construction of a Garda station, a military barracks and a building for the Department of Agriculture. I want to second Deputy McEllistrim's plea that we should not shut off that type of development.
I am glad that the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, which the Minister mentioned in his speech, is reaching the final restoration stage. A distinguished architect from my constituency, Patrick Shaffrey, has been dealing with public and private buildings and he has published works about them asking us to pay due attention to our heritage. I know that the Office of Public Works, within their financial structures, will pay attention to him. I remember giving a lecture in the library in Boston some time ago and the librarian there, whose assistant was a past pupil of mine from Letterkenny, pleaded for that complex involving at that time the College of Art, the National Library and the National Museum. I want to reiterate that plea now.
Decentralisation will take place in the future and I hope that this House will not forget it. I was very glad to hear the Minister say that we are paying particular attention to Irish products in our foreign embassies. This should extend to painting, sculpture, furniture and carpets, and I am sorry to hear that the Killybegs world famous knotted carpet factory is in trouble. I ask the Minister, knowing that he has an interest in that area of preservation, to talk to his Minister of State and members of the Government to try to have that unique skill preserved.
The Minister mentioned the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell canal. I feel very strongly about this since the time, many years ago, when I visited the Norfolk Broads where thousands of people go for boating. I have spoken in this House about the potential of the Erne system from Ballyshannon back to Lough Erne. If the horrible circumstances which prevail in that area could be settled politically—we hoped in our deliberations at the Forum that we were on the way to doing that—there would be potential there second to none in Europe for development.
Deputy McEllistrim also emphasised the importance of the Phoenix Park. I am in total agreement with him that there should be no question of buses passing through it. The story of the Phoenix Park being the citizens' park is interesting. The Duchess of Cleveland, who was the mistress of George I, was to be given a present of the park on the principle of, as a famous architectural historian said, rewards in Ireland for services rendered in England. The Duke of Ormond stopped this happening and preserved the park for the citizens. I hope that the Minister of an Irish Government would not defile the park by allowing buses to go through it. If anybody has any doubts about it, I invite them to pass through the park and drink in with delight the horse chestnuts that are now in candle bloom there.
I am glad that Glenveagh National Park is now being developed for the nation. In that connection, there is a beautiful story written by the late M.J. McManus called The Glen of the Silver Birches which gives the history of that park. It is right that it should come back into the possession of the nation when one reads what happened when it was being developed. When I lived in Donegal I visited it regularly; the gardens are magnificent. Deputy McEllistrim asked about the availability of the castle. I met Mr. McElhinney and every time I use Tabasco sauce I think of that beautiful castle, the lake and its surroundings with its herd of deer.
I spoke privately to the Minister about the Boyne drainage which is now coming to a conclusion. I appeal to the Minister to finish it off by doing the Killinkere river which is a very small extension of that scheme. I have already mentioned how important it is to have the very best products of our craftsmen and artists in the embassies and I know that I can rely on the Office of the Public Works to do that.
There is no courthouse in Cavan at present and the Office of Public Works or the Department of Justice should deal with that classical building, the roof of which is about to fall in and which has been the subject of court cases already. There is an economic philosophy developing which applies cost-benefit analysis to everything and I am afraid that this will affect areas in the west which at present cannot be subjected to that criterion. It is not the only criterion and I hope that the philosophy which is rampant in London, Washington and to a certain extent in Dublin should not be applied because there are other considerations besides the percentage of profit on a cost-benefit analysis.
With regard to the Boyne valley megalithic operation, it is wonderful to see the work of Professor George Eogan and Sir Michael Herity coming to fruition. The late Professor Ruairi de Valera was also involved in that scheme. George Moore, who was not an archaeologist, popularised it throughout Europe and the United States at the beginning of this century. Now we have our own scholars and experts reporting on that area and, apart altogether from its contribution to scholarship, it will be a wonderful tourist attraction in times to come. The archaeological survey in Donegal has been completed and I hope that Members of this House will be provided with copies of those surveys.
The leader of the Fianna Fáil Party had a very strong and comprehensive heritage Bill which he intended to put on the Statute Book. It was going to be very comprehensive and I hope it will not be lost sight of and that the whole area will be covered in one Act. I also hope that this House will back it up with finance because in the end one will not get anywhere without proper funding.
I should like to have gone on for some time on this Vote because there is an importance attached to it far beyond the time we are allocating to it in this House. I am very proud that the main Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, was put on the Statute Book by a predecessor in my constituency in County Cavan, the late Deputy Paddy Smith, former Minister for Agriculture and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.
I shall try within the limited time at my disposal to deal with some of the points and criticisms made. I want to thank both contributors from the opposite side. I want to thank them, on behalf of the Office of Public Works, for the things they said that I know to be true about the work and dedication of the people in that office. I should like to pay tribute to the people who work in that Office.
I want to thank Deputy McEllistrim and Deputy Wilson for their kind remarks in regard to myself. As Deputy Wilson has just said, the work of this Office is a lot more important in the context of the whole political, industrial and social scene than the amount of time given to it here would suggest.
I do not think there was any severe criticism levelled except perhaps about lack of finance. The survey and drainage of the River Shannon was mentioned. While I do not want to appear to be smart the drainage of the Shannon has been going on and I have been hearing about it since I was a boy — let us all be honest with one another in this respect — and I do not think anything definite was ever done about it.
With regard to the whole drainage scene there has now been completed a review which I am at present reading carefully and which will then go for consideration by the Government. I am hopeful it will add to the drainage programme generally. I might add that any new drainage schemes must await the outcome of this review. There were intermediate drainage schemes undertaken on a smaller scale in the 1960s which dissipated too much of the money which should have gone into the major drainage schemes at that time. That is what was felt by the Office of Public Works.
Deputy McEllistrim did say that while they were in office drainage continued apace and everything was flying. That is not exactly true. I might take one example, the drainage of the River Boyne which was mentioned in the course of the debate. It was estimated that its drainage, properly funded, would be finished in 1979. Yet it has not been finished to date. I am prepared to admit that I have been arguing that never has any drainage been carried out in the most economic or viable way. This happened throughout the periods of office of various Governments. Drainage never received sufficient money and we all know that. In regard to the point made about people laid off, it is fair to say that people are laid off in drainage even where there is no question of cutbacks being made. I know in my constituency — where the Boyne rises — there were people employed on its drainage ten years ago at the commencement of the scheme who were laid off through natural wastage. The completion of the drainage of the Boyne is targeted for next year.
The drainage of the rivers Boyle and Bonet were commenced in the term of office of the previous Government but there was no money provided in the Estimates. Let us be honest with one another in this respect. I am not saying it is progressing faster now because, if it was to continue at all, it must have done so at a faster pace. It is my opinion that no Government ever invested sufficient money in arterial drainage, which is most important and something which should be given more attention.
I think it was Deputy McEllistrim who said that the Phoenix Park was deteriorating. There are fewer people employed there than there were but I do not agree with the contention that it is deteriorating. The decrease in numbers employed was occasioned by a Government decision in regard to engaging people. There has been some difficulty experienced in the Phoenix Park about the filling of a superintendent's post which is now well under way and there will be a superintendent installed there very soon. I agree with what both Deputies said about buses in the Phoenix Park. I am of the same opinion, that it would amount to a desecration to allow buses in the Phoenix Park. I would be opposed to it anyway.
Deputy McEllistrim mentioned Killarney Park, of which I am very proud also. Indeed it is one of the great achievements of the Office of Public Works, if not one of the greatest achievements of the country and something of which we can all be proud. We can be proud of our other parks also because they are beautiful places. I think the one in Killarney was handed over to the State and the only cost factor there was the purchase of extra land. I understand that there are negotiations in train for the purchase of extra land in the other parks, the one in Connemara and also the Donegal one even though it is already a very large park. Preservation is the principal consideration in regard to those parks, not that we develop them so much as to preserve them as part of our beautiful heritage. In regard to Glenveagh and the castle there, I should say that the castle will not be open this year. There is some repair work to be carried out there on entrances and so on and it is the intention of the Office of Public Works to have it open to the public eventually.
Deputy McEllistrim mentioned also the funds provided for the project at Drumsna pier on the Shannon. I should say that that is a finishing job, which is the reason the financial provision is small.
Deputy McEllistrim mentioned a site being acquired for Government offices in Tralee. That is being planned and under way. Deputy McEllistrim mentioned also Garda stations and employment exchanges. A programme of building work in regard to both has been under way for quite a long time and, as I said in my introductory remarks, progress on these is steady and will continue. I can assure him of that. In regard to schools a discussion is taking place on the transfer to the Department of Education of the national school building programme. Arrangements for its smooth transfer are at present being planned and the Deputy may be assured that this will not result in any duplication of staff.
On the decentralisation programme, I should say that a decision has been taken to dispose of any State property surplus to requirements. That does not mean that we will give away property at a cheap rate or anything like that. The Office of Public Works have as good a valuation staff as anybody else and I can assure Deputies that property will not be given away at sacrifice prices. However, some of the sites purchased will not be used for some time. A decision has to be taken as to whether it is better to have money invested in sites or put into a building programme. For that reason perhaps there is some merit in disposing of them.
Deputy Wilson raised the subject of Dublin Castle where plans are in hand for large scale restoration and development work. It should be remembered that most of the buildings in the Castle are between 200 and 250 years old. As a number of them are deteriorating at foundation level it renders their preservation and restoration difficult. I might add that at the Church of The Most Holy Trinity there is one such building deteriorating. I can assure the Deputy that the problem is not too serious and remedial work is being carried out. A long-term programme of works for Dublin Castle is now being prepared and I am confident that we will see a start to this building in 1985. I wish to thank the two Deputies for their constructive contributions to the debate.
In view of a very wide ranging article in a recent Economist about acid rain I should like to ask the Minister of State if the Burren will be safeguarded when the new coal burning station is opened in Clare at Moneypoint. It is an absolutely horrific story about acid rain and the depredation it is causing in Europe.
I do not think that would affect my Department.
I am depending on the OPW to do something about it.
It is probably a matter for the Department of the Environment, but we will have a look at it.
