Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 Sep 1987

Vol. 117 No. 1

Seanad Chamber Repairs: Statement by Cathaoirleach.

An Cathaoirleach

Order. Before I call the Leader of the House on the Order of Business today, I want to make an announcement for the information of all Members of this House on the progress report from the Office of Public Works on the Seanad Chamber which was considered by the Committee on Procedures and Privileges yesterday. Members will recall that on the occasion of the first progress report on 1 July, I made a similar announcement to keep all Members of this House up to date as far as possible on the progress of the work. At that time I undertook to make an announcement on each progress report as it arose. This report is a bit earlier than I thought would be the case. The second report covers repair work to the north wing of Leinster House, which includes the Library as well as the Seanad Chamber.

Briefly, the Office of Public Works summarise the work to be done as follows: (a) taking down and rebuilding all the bow and gable wall to the underside of first floor level, strengthening the new work, repairing and cleaning the stonework; (b) repairing and strengthening main roof structure over Seanad Chamber; (c) strengthening Chamber floor; (d) repairing cracks in Oireachtas Library; (e) modernising mechanical and electrical installations; (f) restoring plasterwork in Seanad Chamber and Oireachtas Library and refitting both.

A contractor has now been appointed and work commenced on 21 September. The Office of Public Works expect the work to be completed towards the end of 1989, maybe some months earlier. I am happy that the contractor is on site and that the work has commenced.

Mr. Ferris

Hear, hear.

An Cathaoirleach

In regard to the noise factor in the work, I would like to quote from a letter of 25 September 1987 received from the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Treacy on the project which sets out the position clearly and speaks for itself:

The Commissioners are working to a very tight budget on this project, on the instructions of the Minister for Finance. Consequently speed is of the essence and the co-operation of everybody concerned is essential. The contractor has been instructed to schedule his operations so as to cause the minimum possible interference by noise, dust or otherwise to the remainder of Leinster House and adjoining buildings. It is imperative that the work proceeds without it being necessary to disrupt the contractor's programme and I am looking for your support and indeed patience while the work is in hands. Needless to say if the contractor is required to suspend work for any length of time the cost of the project increases and the finishing date is extended pro rata. Between us all we must ensure that this is avoided even if it means that we are discommoded a little.

I quote further from the Minister's letter:

Questions have been asked about the Commissioners plans for the Seanad Chamber ceiling. You can take it that every effort will be made to save this ceiling in keeping with the Commissioners acknowledged track record in this area. I can tell you however that the ceiling is in a very bad way and is disintegrating. Experts are being consulted and a solution is being sought. In making a final decision the Commissioners principal concern will be the structural adequacy of the restored ceiling so that the business of the Seanad can be conducted in a secure and safe environment without the need for further works in the foreseeable future.

Senators will see from the progress report and the Minister of State's letter, which I have quoted, that every effort is being made to ensure that our Chamber will be returned to us with all possible speed. Here, I ask for the co-operation of Senators and, indeed, I ask for the co-operation of other members of Leinster House, including Members of Dáil Éireann, in ensuring that this project can be finished on time. I will report to the House when I receive the next progress report.

I have been in this House for several days of each week, except for two weeks, and before I finish on this I want to pay a tribute to Jeffrey Johnson of the OPW for his co-operation in having contractors on site in order to get our old Chamber back. I trust that Senators feel most comfortable in the new chairs here today. I sat on the other chairs for four years and I do not know whether it was because of my long legs but I certainly did not find them comfortable. I decided that we should change them and have at least that much comfort. The atmosphere of the Seanad today is a little bit more senatorial. Having paid a tribute to Jeffrey Johnson I would also like to pay a tribute to the Superintendent of the Houses and the staff of this House for the work they undertook during our absence in the summer.

Mrs. Bulbulia

I would like to join with you in paying tribute to the personnel of the OPW, to the Superintendent of the Houses and to the staff and also to express on behalf of the Fine Gael group our pleasure at being back again in this temporary Chamber. I would also like to pay tribute to you, a Chathaoirligh, for your devotion and dedication to this House and for the facilities afforded to its Members. It is indeed much improved, albeit, a temporary Chamber, and I am sure Members will appreciate and enjoy the facilities which you have overseen during the summer.

Mr. Robb

I would like to endorse the comments that have just been made by Senator Bulbulia and I couple them with my appreciation of what Senators did on my behalf at the end of the last session. I can assure them that what was said here and the way in which it was conveyed by the Leader of the House to where it matters was in fact of great assistance in producing an effect which made my work place much improved. I would like to put on the record of the House my appreciation and thanks. This Chamber today is well adorned by the flag which is behind the Cathaoirleach — Tomás Meagher's great flag representing peace between the orange and the green. It stands very suitably behind you, a Chathaoirligh. It is an added feature to the attempt to try to make our Seanad appropriate for the debates we hope to have in the forthcoming session.

Mr. Norris

I would like to add my voice to those of the two previous speakers and also to congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, for your skill in providing such comfortable surroundings for us. This is a talent of which I was unaware. I wonder whether it would be possible for you to inform the House as to who are the experts who will be involved in the advising of the restoration programme, not that I wish in any way to question their expertise but I hope that some degree of that expertise at least will be in the area of preservation and restoration of 18th century plaster work. If this is not the case, perhaps you could use your good offices to make sure that that degree of talent which does exist unquestionably in this country in this matter is tapped so that the greatest possible care can be taken to ensure that this beautiful ceiling is preserved.

An Cathaoirleach

On that point, I also had the reservations that each Member of this House had that the work on our Chamber had not proceeded as it should have in the previous two years. I had these anxieties despite dealing with and talking at length with the Office of Public Works all through the summer. I cannot name the experts now but I certainly will find out who they were and will convey that information to you and to the House.

I am a firm believer that every Senator in this House should know what is going on and what I am doing as Cathaoirleach. I am inclined both here and in other places to refer to what I have done or said, with the emphasis on the "I" but I have been pulled up on that. I can recall times when I was not told here in the early seventies things which I would have liked to have known as a serving elected representative. That is why I like to keep every Senator informed and why I try to bring reports here. I will find out who the OPW are in consultation with and will so inform Senator Norris.

Mr. Ferris

I am pleased that the situation of Senator Robb has improved as a result of the intervention of the House and of the Leader of the House. I was pleased to hear this from the Senator during the summer recess.

I also wish to put on record my appreciation of your own personal commitment not alone to defending the flag, which now stands behind you, but also to defending the Members of the House and their facilities. Throughout the summer I was aware of your dedication in trying to get on with the job which needed to be done and also to ensuring that this particular Chamber was improved. I would suggest to all those Senators who have an interest in what is happening behind the closed doors that they go to your offices and examine for themselves those details of the work which can be found there particularly in regard to the ceiling which has evoked the interest of An Taisce and other prescribed bodies who have an interest in our heritage. Any Senator who avails of that opportunity or who may be concerned about the competence of the Board of Works, a body to which I often paid tribute even in tougher days, will be able to see that the problem in regard to the damage to the ceiling is serious. Anyone realising the extent of the damage would be anxious that the work proceed with all possible speed and with the benefit of all the expertise available so as to ensure that the magnificent ceiling is protected and kept as intact as is physically possible. I wish to pay a tribute to you, a Chathaoirligh, for the dedication you have shown in this regard during the summer months.

Mr. Mooney

I would like to join with other Senators in congratulating you on the stand you have taken in the interests of the Seanad. I hope your efforts will eventually pay off and that all Senators will join with me in saying how gratifying it is to learn that the comments which were made here in this House towards the end of the last session had a positive bearing on Senator Robb's difficulties at that time and he should acknowledge it. Therefore, perhaps the other Members of the House will join with me in condemning the harassment by the UDR of an elected Member of the Northern Ireland Council over the past few days. I am calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to raise this at the Anglo-Irish Conference.

Mr. B. Ryan

I am very gratified that Senator Robb's situation has been improved. I would like it to go out that not only does Seanad Éireann have influence on the Government of this country but it obviously has influence on the Government of another country and I am very glad it happened. I would be much more sympathetic to Senator Mooney if he had said something about the arrest and detention of a Member of this Oireachtas.

Senators

Hear, hear.

Mr. McMahon

While being associated with the complimentary remarks on your efforts, a Chathaoirligh, during the summer to provide better facilities for us, I would like to raise the matter of the lack of a facility which we had in the past. I would like to inquire through you why we do not have post office facilities today. It was my understanding that on a sitting day of either House the post office would be open and available to Members and anyone else who wanted to use it. I have made two attempts to use the services of the post office today and I have failed to do so up to this hour. It certainly was not available at 2.30 p.m.

An Cathaoirleach

I will look into that when I leave the Chair at 3.30 p.m.