asked the Minister for Finance if he will state with reference to the garden of remembrance which it was proposed to make to commemorate the memory of those who gave their lives to uphold and maintain the Irish Republic: (i) the year in which the proposal was initiated; (ii) the site of the proposed garden; (iii) the area of the site; (iv) the body from whom the site was obtained; (v) the terms on which it was acquired; (vi) the date on which it was conveyed to the Minister for Finance; (vii) the date on which it was decided that a competition should be held to secure a suitable design for the proposed memorial; (viii) the date on which the advertisement inviting designs first appeared; (ix) the closing date for the competition; (x) the date on which the winning design was selected; (xi) the procedure adopted for determining the winning design; (xii) the nature of the winning design; (xiii) the name of the author of the winning design; (xiv) the estimated cost of giving effect to the winning design; (xv) the provision made in the Estimate for Public Works and Buildings in each of the financial years 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50 and 1950-51 respectively; (xvi) the date on which it was decided not to proceed with the execution of the winning design; (xvii) the grounds on which it was decided not to proceed with the winning design, and (xviii) whether the decision not to proceed was taken by the Government as a whole or by a Minister or Ministers in charge of a Department of State and, if the latter, what Minister or Ministers were responsible for the decision.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garden of Remembrance.
The proposal was initiated in September, 1935. The site is the northern part of the Rotunda Gardens and is, approximately, one and a half acres in area. The site was acquired in fee simple from the governors of the Rotunda Hospital on the 20th October, 1939, in consideration of a sum of £2,000. The decision to hold a competition for a design was taken on the 15th March, 1940. The first advertisement appeared on the 26th January, 1946, and the 31st July, 1946, was fixed as the closing date. The result of the competition was announced on the 20th August, 1946. In accordance with the published conditions of the competition, Mr. John J. Robinson, M.Arch., F.R.I.A.I., F.R.I.B.A., acted as assessor, and selected the design submitted by Mr. Daithi P. Hanly, B.Arch., M.R.I.A.I., A.R.I.B.A., A.M.T.P.I. The design comprises a sunken garden with a pool in the form of a cross, the main axis running east to west, the principal entrance lying at the east of the site and a large sculptured monument at the western end. The cost of the scheme was estimated at £23,000, but this did not include the cost of the sculpture, of which no estimate was made, pending a decision as to the actual design of this feature. The following provisions for the scheme were made in the Vote for Public Works and Buildings:—
|
£ |
|
|
1946/47 |
3,000 |
|
1947/48 |
10,000 |
|
1948/49 |
5,000 |
|
1949/50 |
10 (token) |
|
1950/51 |
Nil. |
At a meeting of the Government, held on the 14th May, 1948, when the question of effecting economies in the Vote for Public Works and Buildings was under consideration, it was decided to defer this scheme with a number of other projects. There has been no decision not to proceed with the execution of the winning design. As the Deputy has already been informed, the scheme has been deferred and the temporary use of the site has been granted to the Rotunda Hospital authorities, who made urgent representations for it for infant welfare purposes.