Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
211. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the actions being taken to reduce the hostile architecture on Castle Street and Ship Street to make it more welcoming and safe, namely by reducing the height of the tall surrounding walls (details supplied). [41404/23]
View answerThe walls to which the Deputy refers are the historic boundary walls of the Castle and for reasons of security and conservation it is not envisaged that they could or should be entirely removed.
However, as part of the Dublin Castle Strategic Framework Plan which sets out potential works over the coming decade, it was considered that a new pedestrian bridge could be opened between the Castle complex through the walls and connecting to St Werburgh's church and graveyard. This bridge would cross the 40 steps and serve to ameliorate the somewhat forbidding appearance of the Castle walls.
Consideration was also suggested to restoring and reconstructing the facade of the walls in order to make the streetscape in this area of the Castle boundary more welcoming.
