Office of Public Works Properties

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2013

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Questions (144)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

144. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the source of stonework belonging to the Office of Public Works, left on Coillte land near Tintern Abbey, County Wexford; if a record has been kept of the source of this stone, its age and previous location; if a scientific analysis was carried out on the stone work to establish when it was used as a building material and for what purpose; the length of time it has been stored on Coillte land, the details of the protocols that cover this arrangement; if any of the stone has been used on other National Monuments and if it was did the National Museum approve of such dispersal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23558/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

The stone referred to lies in an area owned by Coillte and has been stored there with its agreement since late 2010.

As neighbours with whom the Office of Public Works (OPW) maintains good working relationships, Coillte agreed to allow the OPW to store stone designated for future work on sites in the Wexford region on its land, as storing it on the National Monument property itself would be difficult and detract from visitor amenity. The arrangement is an informal one with no costs involved and is not subject to any written protocols.

The stone is unrelated to Tintern Abbey itself and was drawn from the OPW's store of stone in the National Monuments Depot in Kilkenny. This in turn, comes form a number of different sources, all unrelated to any National Monument.

No scientific analysis was carried out. This was not required as the OPW is aware of the provenance of the material. None of the stone came from any National Monument in state care. The National Museum has no function in relation to the material.