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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 1991

Vol. 405 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Custom House Docks Museum-Leisure Complex.

Bernard Allen

Question:

1 Mr. Allen asked the Taoiseach the moneys which have been spent to date on a new section for the National Museum at the Dublin Docks Centre, Dublin 1; and the projected costs of building and fitting out this new centre.

Edward Nealon

Question:

2 Mr. Nealon asked the Taoiseach the progress which has been made on the plans for a cultural centre at the Custom House Docks site, Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

A total of £12,300 has been paid to date by my Department in respect of professional fees for works relating to the new museum at the Custom House Docks. The construction costs of the museum-leisure complex to be undertaken by the Custom House Docks Development Company were estimated in 1987 at £11.2 million. No precise cost has yet been estimated for the fitting out of the museum area.

The development at the Custom House Docks site has now reached the stage where final decisions must be made about the museum. These decisions are currently the subject of consultations between the Custom House Docks Development Authority and the developers.

Could the Taoiseach give the exact location of the proposed cultural centre? Will it be in the old building known as Stack A or will it be a purpose built building specifically for this purpose?

That matter has not yet been finally decided. The original idea was that it would be in Stack A. Subsequently there were some suggestions that a new building should be provided. That decision has not been finally taken.

Stack A is a preserved building and other arrangements would have to be made if it were not decided to have the cultural centre there. What sections of the National Museum will be going there? Will it be the decorative arts, the military history or the folk collections? What is it intended to have there? Is it also intended to have a theatre, a concert hall or an assembly hall?

The museum is a separate concept. The idea originally was that it should be a folk museum. It is the subject of continuing consultation between my Department and the director of the National Museum as to exactly what may ultimately go there. Almost certainly it will be the folk collection. The leisure complex is separate.

There was a suggestion some years ago that the Custom House building might be considered for the purposes of a cultural museum. If the Taoiseach is now suggesting that a new building might be constructed in this area, would he give any consideration to using the Custom House itself as a cultural museum centre?

Yes. Such a use for the Custom House can always be considered. It would be a mistake to use the Custom House for this purpose because the developers are committed to providing £11 million or £12 million for the adaptation of Stack A or a new building.

Would the Taoiseach not consider that it might be more suitable to have the decorative arts collection displayed in this centre city location rather than the folk life collection, a lot of which consists of large 19th century agricultural machinery which might be seen to be rather out of context in this city centre location? Perhaps it might be better accommodated somewhere else in view of the fact that most successful folk life collections are on the edge of cities and not in the centre, for example, the museum at Cultra in Northern Ireland?

These are aesthetic considerations which——

Practical.

——I would prefer, as is my humble wont, to leave to others better qualified than I to decide.

Would the Taoiseach not agree that this is a policy question and that the size of the accommodation available will essentially determine what can be displayed? Is the Taoiseach further aware that there are substantial folk life collections available in the National Museum consisting mostly of very bulky, ancient farm machinery which cannot be adequately displayed in a location as constrained as the Custom House Docks must necessarily be? Would he therefore consider that the decorative arts collection, which would not be as bulky, might be more suitable to that location?

It is possibly because of the Deputy's own rural background and his deep immersion in agricultural matters that he suggests that a folk collection should consist only of farm machinery.

This particular folk collections does.

In the early days of this concept we were thinking more in terms of what the National Museum needed space for and it was regarded as appropriate that the entire folk collection should be replaced down there. The matter is still under discussion and the suggestion made by Deputy Nealon can, of course, be considered.

I aplogise for Deputy Bernard Allen, who asked me to convey his regret that he could not be here today. Will the Taoiseach confirm a statement made by the secretary of his Department that the final figure for the completion of this building will be in the region of £20 million? Would the Taoiseach agree that this vast amount of money would be better spent in developing local museums so that many of the artefacts could be displayed in the localities from which they came?

I have already dealt with that point. This does not arise since we are able to get the museum on the site because the developers will provide it for us. The developers are providing this museum, whether it costs £11 million or £12 million or whatever, as part of their contractual obligation. It cannot be provided anywhere else and must be provided there. I gave the figures in my reply. The estimated cost in 1987 was £11.2 million but that has probably risen since then. There will probably be about 90,000 feet involved in the museum project. It has to be in the Custom House Docks area.

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