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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Ordnance Survey Accommodation.

The structure of the Adjournment Debate is not satisfactory in that prepared scripts do not deal with questions raised by Opposition Deputies. I have tried over the years to have the structure changed so that the Minister of the day would be able to answer questions at the end which would make the debate more relevant.

I thank the Chair for allowing me raise this matter. It arises from an article in The Irish Times last Saturday, 1 April, April fool's day, with the headline “Archives unharmed after roof collapses. Priceless collection is stored in decaying house”. The article and its headline may be slightly misleading but it gives an opportunity to present the way the State treats and is interested in housing archive material of great importance to the people and the nation.

This complex in the Phoenix Park is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works and I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Cullen, is present. The place names branch is housed in Mountjoy House and the other elements of the complex house the Ordnance Survey. It was built in the early 1720s and is now a series of buildings but the Office of Public works does not appear to have any long-term strategy for its use. There are a number of questions I would like the Minister of State to answer. If he is not in a position to do so now I would be grateful if he would forward replies to me.

The placenames commission is housed in a section of this complex and comprises four researchers and one clerical officer. The Ordnance Survey personnel moved out of that section last year. There were eight original fireplaces stolen from the building last year. I understand this could only have been done on the instruction of someone who had knowledge of fireplaces as those left behind were not the originals. There was a camera pointing at the gate and the Minister of State might confirm whether there was film in it. The floor of the building was in such a condition that the original Ordnance Survey volumes of 1830, with a volume for every county, was taken out to another building, which is described as a former army canteen, with no thermostatic controls. It is a priceless series of volumes that cannot be replaced. It is not in a suitable location. There is not any fax machine in the building. The staff cannot send e-mail. They must walk 200 yards if they want to send a fax.

I understand that an examination of the building has been carried out and there is no clear evidence of where the collapse occurred. I am not sure whether the writer of this article visited the buildings. I did not visit them but it has been reported to me that a substantial amount of plaster was seen on the floors of some of the buildings indicating a collapse, although it may not have been in this particular section of the placenames branch. It may have been another section; perhaps the Minister could confirm the position.

The Minister has an interest in this matter and I want him to set out a clear strategy for the future housing of the placenames commission, the researchers, the clerical staff and the material which cannot be replaced and which, according to a Forbairt report in 1994 – the Office of Public Works has known about this since then – is in danger of going on fire as a result of an electrical fault and is not in the best condition in terms of temperature, dampness, dryness, etc. I assume the Minister has the resources to deal with these matters.

The Minister has displayed an interest in this matter and I want him to sort it out in the next couple of months. I ask him to find a suitable location for the personnel and the material. The shifting around of this priceless material from room to room is an indication of the way our past is being treated. There is no thermostatic control and there are national headlines stating that sections of the building where the archives are stored have collapsed. It is indicative of what is happening in the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands under the stewardship of the Minister, Deputy de Valera. This is not the only issue which has collapsed recently.

I ask the Minister to respond to my queries and put the minds of the people concerned at ease. I ask the Minister to deal with the issues of the fireplaces, the camera, the roof collapse, the shifting around of material, thermostatic control and the longer term future of the building complex. In addition, I ask him to outline his views on where the archival material of the placenames branch will be stored and where the personnel will work in the future.

I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this matter. As the Deputy is aware, my reply is short but an extensive amount of research on the matter raised by him and the article in the newspaper was carried out. The Deputy referred to 1 April and that date may be significant.

The Deputy will be glad to learn that contrary to media reports, there was no collapse of any portion of the roof of Mountjoy House. I sent out officials today to ensure we were correct and the position has been confirmed to me. However, I do not dismiss the various points made by the Deputy. I have a great interest in the State property directly under my control. The Deputy as a former Minister also had a great interest in the general area. Part of my difficulty at times is that other Departments have direct responsibility for certain matters. However, extensive programmes in areas where I have direct responsibility have been highly commended. The quality of the work being done by the officials is extraordinary.

The Deputy raised some specific questions. I do not have the answers with me but I am glad he raised them. He will get a specific and direct response from me as soon as I get the answers to the questions he raised.

I thank the Minister of State.

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