To-day I addressed a question to the Minister for Finance asking:—
"if he will state approximately how many persons, civil servants and others, have their place of employment within the precincts of Dublin Castle, and whether it is a fact that most of the buildings in which these persons work are unsuitable for use as offices and are expensive to maintain in a healthy and habitable condition because of structural decay and unsoundness; and, further, if, in view of the growing unemployment among those workers who are usually employed on large-scale building works in the city, he will instruct the Commissioners of Public Works to call for tenders for the reconstruction of the unsound and unsuitable buildings in accordance with the plans which it is understood the Fianna Fáil Government instructed the commissioners to prepare so far back as 1946".
The Minister in his reply stated:—
"There are at present approximately 1,600 persons, civil servants and others employed within the precincts of Dublin Castle. The buildings comprised in the castle outside the State Departments are in the main a heterogeneous collection of early 19th century structures—including a military barracks, coachhouses, stables, etc.—which have been converted for use as office accommodation. Most of them are unsuitable for use as permanent premises for Government Departments, being expensive to light, heat and maintain in proper condition.
As regards the final part of the Deputy's question, tenders for reconstruction works could not be invited until certain buildings which are at present occupied, had been vacated and demolished. Alternative accommodation for the staffs concerned is not at present available and will not be easy to secure."
The House will remember that during the debate on the Estimate for the Taoiseach's Department all the oppositions in this House—I say "oppositions" as distinct from the Opposition —laboured and emphasised the figure to which the number of unemployedhad reached at the employment exchanges. Emphasis was further laid on the fact that a great number of people had lost their employment because of the almost complete cessation of work in the larger building schemes. We have everybody asserting that we must find work for those unemployed people—whether they belong to the skilled or unskilled classes—and side by side with that we have a situation where the State has housed in a building 1,600 persons, a great number of whom are expected to do their daily work as civil servants or employees of the State in so-called offices or buildings which are unsafe, unsound, unhealthy and which could easily become in a very short space of time dangerous.
I have heard, of course, that members of the Clann na Poblachta Party, referring to Fianna Fáil projects, describe this place as a palace. Deputy Dillon to-day stated, to use his own words, that he had meandered around the place and saw nothing wrong with it. I take it that many individual Deputies have on occasion visited the various departments in the castle and I am sure they have found it difficult to understand why it is that the Government has delayed dealing with this problem. We have old stables and coach-houses which the Minister has said have been converted into offices. I have been down there in the winter months. I know that there are nasty draughts in certain parts of the building. I have seen attempts at heating in all sorts of old fireplaces and men running around with buckets of fuel trying to get the place warm. I say that anybody aware of these conditions should urge strongly on the Minister to introduce an immediate reconstruction scheme for the building.
I understand, and I should like the Minister to correct me if I am wrong, that plans were actually prepared and were approved for this particular project in 1946. I want to know why it is, having regard to all the unemployed about whom there is so much noise, having regard also to the increased availability of materials and the possibility of finding, even temporarily, alternative accommodation for some ofthe staffs, we have had to wait until now to deal with this urgent matter. I shall make a present to the Government of a bit of help or advice in this matter. I understand from the Minister's own staff at present employed in Lord Edward Street that employees of the Social Welfare Department will be removed shortly, lock, stock and barrel, into that famous edifice—the Store Street bus station. There will then be a series of offices temporarily available for staffs who will have to be removed out of the castle until the buildings which they at present occupy are properly reconstructed.
I should also like to ask the Minister if he is aware that certain parts of the castle buildings were already condemned for demolition and that at one time, if the staffs in certain parts of it had not been moved out, they were preparing themselves to move out. If part of a State building has been condemned by State officials and marked out for demolition, how can staffs be kept there indefinitely? Are we to wait until some part of the building collapses or until we hear that some of the staff have suffered loss of health because of the conditions under which they have to work? The Dublin Corporation is, if you like, the authority to ensure that buildings in the city are maintained in safe condition but I say to the Minister that if Dublin Castle were in the hands of private owners, a notice would have been long since affixed to part of the building condemning it and, if the owner did not deal with the matter within a very short space of time, he would have either to pay a fine or the building would be taken over by the corporation which would carry out the job. You cannot do that with the State. The Corporation of Dublin cannot declare war on the Government, take possession of Government property and do this. If the position were reversed and if the Government itself found fault to the extent I am finding fault with the condition of these buildings, the entire corporation, together with the city manager, would be removed for permitting the buildings to be in the condition they are in and expecting people to work in them.
I do not know how many people could be employed on this particular job but I know that we have more than sufficient working people available who could be immediately employed on this particular work. I do not know what the cost will be. I say that the Minister should be urged to ask for tenders. I heard a lot of talk at one time about wasteful projects contemplated by governments. There is more waste involved in leaving this series of buildings in the condition they are in and a good deal will have to be expended on the cost of reconstruction if we do not do the job immediately.
I asked to-day by way of supplementary question whether the Minister was aware that the buildings were being undermined by the Poddle River which flows under the castle. The Minister admitted that he had been so informed, Is he going to wait until the church building, which is directly over the Poddle River, becomes so undermined that it will collapse? I say this is an urgent matter. It is urgent because of the condition of the buildings and it is essential that this matter be dealt with. Moreover, unemployment is rife in our midst and it behoves us not to talk about it but to do something about it. Here is one particular project which can help in doing something about it. I do not know how many hundreds of men might be employed on this, but if you look upon it to a certain extent as a relief scheme it will be a relief scheme of a productive nature and money will not be wasted on it. It will create something of value for a great number of years.
The Minister in his reply stated that this building was constructed in the early 19th century. I do not know whether it is good policy to retain Dublin Castle, with all the memories associated with it, in the shape it is in to-day. It is in a deteriorated condition and, if left as it is, will be reduced to dust and blown away by the wind. I do not want to take up the time of the House, but I want to reiterate that this building is in a dangerous condition visibly. It isdangerous so far as the health of a number of civil servants who work in the building is concerned.
We have unemployment. The materials are available, and this job should be tackled immediately in whatever form or manner the Government choose, but they should get on with the job. I do not think there is anybody in the House who would find fault with or criticise this proposal. This is a necessary and essential work. When the work is completed, it will be good value for money spent.
