asked the Taoiseach if he has completed his considerations of the proposal to (a) transfer the National Museum, Dublin 2 to the Custom House, Dublin 1, (b) transfer the Department of the Environment and other users of the Custom House to modern office accommmodation, and (c) provide for the Oireachtas to acquire the vacated museum space in order to ensure a suitable building to house fully and comprehensively the National Museum on the one hand and enable all of the Oireachtas political parties and associated staff to be properly accommodated within the perimeters of Leinster House; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - National Museum.
3.
The Deputy's proposal does not seem practical or cost-effective. Considerable costs would be involved in rehousing the staff currently accommodated or to be accommodated in the Custom House and the relocation of the entire National Museum to the Custom House would also be very costly. The purpose of such costly relocations at Exchequer expense is not clear since the Custom House is, in its present use, being maintained in its architectural splendour basically for the purposes for which it was designed. In addition, the National Museum building in Kildare Street was specifically designed and built as a Museum and is an outstanding example of such architecture and should, in my view, be retained as such.
I thank the Minister for his reply to the earlier question.
Give credit where credit is due.
Since the reply was self evident I did not think a supplementary was necessary. Would the Taoiseach not agree that the spirit in which the question was posed related to a fairly broad timetable, I am not talking in terms of the next year or so? Having regard to that, would he and his people not recognise the following three points: first, that whatever about the external architectural splendour of the Custom House it now fails to meet minimum legal standards of office accommodation internally, that upgrading the building to such standards would be expensive and would destroy entirely, the architectural splendour to which he refers; secondly, would he not agree that the museum is badly housed at present, whatever about the original intention for the building, and third, would he not agree, following what the Ceann Comhairle had to say this time last week or a little earlier, that there is a need to consolidate the accommodation of this institution within the perimeter of Leinster House? Perhaps, in time the resolution of those three problems would result in the formula I have suggested. I recognise the cash constraints.
The best I can do is put those points to my advisers and ask them to consider them.
Do I understand that the Taoiseach is suggesting that I put these points in some detail to him?
Yes.
Would the Taoiseach give his views to the House on the desirability of having all political parties and their officers housed within——
Please, Deputy Colley, that is a very distinct and separate matter.
It is included in the question.
The Deputy should put down a question on that.
The desirability of what I am suggesting is mentioned in the question. I am simply asking if the Taoiseach would be prepared to give his views on such possibility.
That is a matter for the Taoiseach.
There are some who would suggest that the further we stay apart the better.
I would not subscribe to that.