asked the Taoiseach the use to which the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, will be put.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin.
1.
The Government have recently decided that the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, should be generally accessible to the public and developed, with its grounds, as a major centre for culture and the arts. The north wing will be retained as an exhibit in its own right and for temporary exhibitions. It will also be used by the State for some of its protocol functions. It is intended that the bulk of the accommodation in the east, south and west wings will be allocated to the National Museum to be used as a display area for material from the National Museum's collections. Any residual space may, at the discretion of the Taoiseach, be reserved for national cultural organisations considered to warrant State aid, or for the administrative staff of self-contained Government agencies or commissions.
Can the Minister inform the House how much money has been spent on refurbishing the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham? Was there not a decision at some stage by some Government to reconstruct the Royal Hospital as a location for meetings of EC committees?
My brief did not extend to a detailed examination of the costs involved in the restoration work. I understand there are separate questions on the Order Paper about this. It has been published fairly widely that the overall cost was in the region of £20 million. I would not dispute the general accuracy of that figure.
So far as the EC meetings are concerned there were many ideas about the possible use of Kilmainham advanced from 1970 onwards. In August 1978 the concept considered by the then Government was the building of a conference hall complex in the grounds of the Royal Hospital with underground connection to the Royal Hospital itself. The restoration work was to go on at the same time and the hospital building was to be used as ancillary to the general conference complex. That was the idea at that time. An integral part of it was the building of a new conference hall complex.
A decision was taken subsequently in 1981 not to proceed with the conference hall. When my committee began to examine the possible future use of the Royal Hospital at Kilmainham, the first thing we had to do was to see could the existing building accommodate the conference hall complex. We consulted the Office of Public Works and the Department of Foreign Affairs. At that time the Office of Public Works were making preparations for essential renovations in Dublin Castle. We found that the conference hall complex could be accommodated there. We asked for a cost analysis and we found that, as between building the new conference hall complex in Kilmainham and establishing it in the extra room available in the castle, the cost would be substantially cheaper to provide it in the castle. I understand that is the position at the moment. That was our examination of the conference hall complex and the possible use of the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham for EC purposes.
Are the premises now open for visits from the public? I saw a photograph this morning——
That is a separate question.
I should like to know whether the premises are open for visits by members of the public.
Unfortunately they are not open to the public now but they will be as quickly as we can get the essential elements ready to allow the public in. The intention is that they will be available on a ongoing basis to the public. This is one of the finest public buildings in Dublin or in the country.
Will the Minister allow some of us to visit it as soon as possible?
I would be delighted to do that and to make arrangements for Deputies who wish to go there individually or in a group. Everyone will be extraordinarily satisfied with the work which is the finest restoration work ever carried out by the Office of Public Works.