asked the Minister for Finance if, having regard to the desirability of ensuring that the proposed new offices at Kildare Place will harmonise with existing architecture in the locality and be of the best possible design, he will make the new buildings the subject of a competition for Irish architects.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Office Building.
55.
The selection of an architect for the new offices to which the Deputy refers is a matter for the developers who have already employed a firm of Irish architects to design the structure.
Has the Parliamentary Secretary not considered that, where you have such a critical site from the architectural point of view, the Government should require developers to have a competition so that Irish architects would have an opportunity of designing for it and thereby stimulate interest in good design and ensure that the ultimate building would harmonise with existing architecture instead of risking the possibility that the sole norm by which to judge a building will be its profitability and not its architectural fitness?
The appointment of the architects was made before the State entered into negotiations.
Am I to understand, then, that the position is that the State made no effort to control or influence in a proper way the design of the new building?
We will, yes. We will certainly take an interest but the point is this: the site is not owned by the State. The State when it heard of this development, for very special reasons that I explained before in the House, decided that it was in the national interests to purchase these offices. From a security point of view, this is very essential.
It is a matter for the planning authority.
Is the plan available for inspection or could the new Parliamentary Secretary arrange that the plans for the new building will be put on display?
What the planning authority approves of is not the responsibility of my Department but whatever construction goes on that site it is in the national interest that the State should acquire it.
Had the Parliamentary Secretary any consultations with the architect?
Question No. 56. We cannot have supplementary questions on this all afternoon.