I beg to move:—
That the Seanad is of opinion that for the purpose of satisfying the public mind as to the sufficiency of the safeguards provided against fire in the National Museum and the adjoining buildings, the Government should obtain a detailed report from an independent expert; and that inasmuch as Sir Edwin Lutyens will be in Dublin by invitation of the Tailteann Games Committee in August, he should be requested to make the report.
I do not think that the Board of Works would object to an independent expert being asked to give an opinion on this matter. I find in one of their statements this occurs: "If the Government were to ask to make a special inquiry into the matter, it would be desirable to agree to do so, and to appoint a committee for the purpose, as the report of such a committee would probably have more weight than Departmental representations." That statement of the Board of Works admits on principle the desirability of there being some outside report upon the question. I was in London until last night, when I returned for this meeting, and while there I inquired from various persons whose business was the safety of museums from fire, and I was told that Sir Edwin Lutyens would be the right person to examine into the question and to make an expert report. I went to him and asked him if he was invited by the Government to make a report, would he do so, and he said he certainly would. He will be in Dublin on August 1st as the guest of the nation. I think he would be regarded as the most acceptable person to do this. There is no one connected with architecture in the world who is a higher authority or whose word or opinion would be more universally accepted.
