This Estimate gives the House an annual opportunity of dealing with very many matters which may not be considered to be of primary importance, but which nevertheless are to many of us in rural Ireland, and in many cases in urban areas, of the greatest importance.
First, I want to refer to the speech of the Parliamentary Secretary in introducing this Estimate last Thursday.
As reported in the Official Report of the 18th May, 1972, at Col. 2056 he said:
The first two items on the list relate to works at Leinster House; namely, the installation of the simultaneous translating system from Irish into English and the provision of a glass screen around the front of the Public Gallery in this Chamber. As I mentioned when introducing last year's estimates, the translating system will be installed during this year's summer recess. I am sure that Deputies will agree with me that the removal of the old grille from the front of the Public Gallery greatly improved the appearance of the Chamber and it is rather a pity to have to replace it now with another structure. Every effort will be made to do a neat job which will detract as little as possible from the appearance of the House.
I want to take the Parliamentary Secretary to task. It is extremely difficult for Deputies, particularly those who are not members of the relevant committee, to make representations on this matter. I understand the engineering, architectural and advisory staff of the Office of Public Works guide a Committee of this House in regard to changes and structure and provide estimates and that the Office of Public Works are merely agents carrying out whatever works are decided on. As one of the longest-serving Members of the House I think that in recent years the Office of Public Works have carried out works which cannot be described as a general improvement and in my opinion they have tended to take from this House very considerably.
May I inquire, first, why it is proposed to spend a sum of £5,000 providing a translation system from Irish to English because I am almost 30 years a Member of the House and I forget how long it is since I heard a Deputy speak in Irish. It is only right that the Parliamentary Secretary should declare when concluding whether a Committee of the House has recommended this installation and, if so, on what grounds because we Deputies have to provide the public money and it is right that public expenditure in all its aspects should be queried. We are not spending our own money but other people's. With the exception of the Ceann Comhairle, an outstanding Irish scholar and one of the most outstanding native speakers, and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, who has contributed generously in Irish and the Minister for Education occasionally, I have still to hear who speaks a word of Irish here and where the demand is from the Deputies. If the demand is from the people in the Public Gallery, whose number is extremely limited, what is the purpose in providing £5,000 for this installation. Insignificant as the amount may be, every £5,000 counts.
If every second Deputy addressed the Chair or contributed to the debates in the Irish language we would all be reasonably satisfied that there was a demand for translation into Irish. Apart from about 20 Members of the House who are keenly enthusiastic about the Irish language and who speak it and greet each other in it when they meet here in the restaurant and elsewhere, I seldom hear Irish spoken. I cannot see the necessity for a translation system to translate a language which is never spoken. I am not happy about it; I do not think it is warranted. It gives the Office of Public Works scope for activity in this House.
In recent times in my opinion the Office of Public Works have destroyed five of the most outstanding mahogany tables in the country, each approximately 16 or 17 feet long. Fluorescent lamps have been placed on these tables at intervals of five feet. The position of these lamps makes it impossible for the beautiful Library to be used to the fullest extent. It is impossible to open a newspaper fully on these tables. A person having the least engineering qualifications would not recommend such a lighting system. Numerous representations have been made to the Parliamentary Secretary on the matter. This may be a matter for a committee but what opportunity have Deputies who are not members of such a committee to make their recommendations other than to criticise the destruction of most expensive and valuable mahogany tables?
Apart from the lighting system being unsatisfactory and the impossibility of dealing with files on the tables, the heating is extraordinary. I have been using the Library for close on 30 years but cannot continue to work there. This is perhaps the only House of Parliament in the world today in which suitable writing facilities are not provided for Members.
Deputies cannot interview their constituents in this House. There is a large room at the entrance in which there may be 12 Deputies at a time, of all parties, interviewing constituents.There is no privacy. There may be a number of people there, particularly constituents of Dublin Deputies. Privacy is not guaranteed. I protest vigorously at the lack of facilities for Deputies to interview their constituents.It is not feasible to bring constituents into the party rooms. Most of these rooms are exclusive to party members and it is not desirable that the public should have access to these rooms. It is a strange state of affairs that Members of a House of Parliament should have to bring their constituents out of the building in order to discuss their private affairs. People are reluctant to discuss their problems in the presence of other Deputies, particularly Deputies of other parties, and in the presence of members of the public.
I would ask the Ceann Comhairle as the head of the House to consult the Office of Public Works with a view to ensuring that some degree of privacy is provided for Deputies and that the facilities of the Library will be restored to Deputies as soon as possible by having some other form of lighting installed and the obstacles that have been put on the mahogany tables there removed.
I have frequently referred to the destruction of the tables in the Library. I gave the Parliamentary Secretary the value of my experience as a valuer. The Office of Public Works have reduced the value of the five mahogany tables in the Library. There are Deputies who realise the value of this outstanding furniture. We are not doing our duty if we allow those who do not appreciate the value of this furniture to destroy it. I object to that destruction. The Office of Public Works have played a major part in depriving Deputies of the full use of the Library by making it impossible for them to read, study or write there. The lighting system should be examined.
I have discussed this matter with the Parliamentary Secretary and he consulted the officials of the Office of Public Works. As a result, the temperature of the fluorescent lighting was reduced. The lighting is blinding to a Deputy who uses the table for hours. It is not right to have the lamps permanently fixed to the tables. I would ask that the tables be restored to their original condition and that the lighting system be changed.
Every Member of the House is pleased that the wire grille on the public gallery has been removed. I do not see anything wrong with the present structure that was provided at reasonable expense. Its appearance is all right and harmonises with the building. I understand that it is proposed to close off the Public Gallery by a glass partition.If that is the intention, may I suggest that it should be done in such a way that the glass panels would not be a permanent fixture but would be capable of being folded. I am not sure as to the purpose of this partition. I presume it is as a result of the incident that took place in the House of Commons some time ago. I do not think anyone will come in here for the purpose of throwing missiles at Deputies.That has never happened and I do not think it is likely to happen. If we are spending a vast sum of money in caging off the public, I assume that some system will have to be provided so that the proceedings will be audible to persons in the Public Gallery. It would be quite easy to arrange for that. There are folding glass partitions in some outstanding buildings. It would be a great pity if a fixed glass partition were to be put on the Public Gallery in this House and which would have to be removed after a very short time. That would be quite wrong.
In the Parliamentary Secretary's speech on the 18th of May he said:
Last year the Office of Public Works initiated a general scheme of improvements on the River Shannon navigation to cope with the growing popularity of pleasure cruising and other recreational uses.
These Shannon cruises are extremely popular particularly with tourists from abroad. The weeds, dirt and silt which accumulate in many parts of the Shannon, particularly convenient to landing spots, should be frequently attended to. I am not at all satisfied that there is sufficient staff associated with the River Shannon to keep it in a proper state for cruising.
I should like to make special reference to the Shannon at Clonmacnoise. To me Clonmacnoise is perhaps the greatest place in the entire universe. It has a long history going back to the days when it sent saints and learned people all over the world. Many of the saints of the English calendar of saints received their early education at Clonmacnoise.The same applies to France Switzerland, Germany, Bavaria and elsewhere. I do not think there is a seat of learning in any part of the world of the same historic value and importance as Clonmacnoise. Some years ago it was taken over as a national monument. It is in my constituency. I visit it frequently. Even in winter time it is a place in which one can reflect in peace and happy surroundings amid the churches and tombs of kings and princes, of noted clergy and saintly people of the historic past and with the Shannon flowing nearby.
I have been pressing the Offaly County Council to proceed with the erection of public conveniences in the vicinity of Clonmacnoise. I understand that this year they propose to do something about it. Clonmacnoise is a national monument, perhaps the greatest and most historic in the land, and the Office of Public Works are not devoting sufficient care and attention to it. It is not enough to take over such a historic resting place and seat of learning. It is important that when it is taken over it is maintained properly. Recently I visited Clonmacnoise with a group of friends and I was horrified to see lemonade bottles, milk bottles, papers, tin cans and a variety of other rubbish on the graves and even within the precincts of the ruins of the old churches. Because of the numbers of people visiting Clonmacnoise the landing slip should be enlarged and the landing facilities improved.If people want to have picnics or light refreshment there, there should be a place provided convenient to Clonmacnoise for this purpose.
It is quite wrong that there are no toilet facilities there. This has been discussed very frequently by the local residents. It is improper and not in keeping with the proper maintenance of this historic monument. I would ask the Office of Public Works to see that well-designed and conveniently situated wash-up and toilet facilities are made available as soon as possible. People come to see Clonmacnoise from many parts of the world as well as, I am glad to say, an increasing number of Irish people. The Office of Public Works should encourage school tours to come to Clonmacnoise. The Parliamentary Secretary in conjunction with the Minister for Education, should consider having circularised to all schools a brief and understandable history of this great national monument.The teaching profession throughout the length and breadth of the country should be encouraged to take their classes there for the purpose of reflecting on the past, seeing this national monument and having its historic value and importance explained to them by qualified guides.
I have appealed to Bord Fáilte on more than one occasion for greater publicity for Clonmacnoise. I have asked them and Offaly County Council to have every possible road leading to Clonmacnoise suitably signposted.This also applies to the Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath County Councils. The Office of Public Works should lose no time in communicating with the County Managers of Galway, Roscommon and Westmeath to ensure that every road leading to Clonmacnoise is signposted. It is amazing the number of people who want to visit there but find it extremely difficult to find the way. In the village of Shannonbridge a large sign should be erected either by the Office of Public Works or by Bord Fáilte indicating the main road. The same should be provided at Ballinahown and convenient to Ballycumber. If those of us who live in the area are not prepared to speak up for Clonmacnoise who else can do it?
A considerable sum of money was spent in the taking over and laying out of Clonmacnoise as a national monument. Those of us who were pressing to have it taken over in the time of the late Monsignor O'Donoghue, when the late Michael Donnellan was Parliamentary Secretary, did not intend that the State should take it over merely in name but that it should be fully maintained and developed and that an effort should be made to increase its importance even outside the country. That is a task which should be undertaken by the Office of Public Works. Clonmacnoise should be given special emphasis in the tourist journals published by Bord Fáilte. I am not taking from Kylemore Abbey, Monasterboice or any of the other important and historic areas throughout the country but I am sure nobody will deny that the historic spot in which St. Ciaran founded this outstanding seat of learning is of utmost importance. We should provide a generous amount of money each year in the Estimates to ensure the proper caretaking of Clonmacnoise.A permanent local office should be provided by the Office of Public Works and literature should be made available on the historic importance and background of Clonmacnoise. Those who are interested in Clonmacnoise will be very sad if the present generation and future generations are not made aware of the history of this most treasured spot.
The only Department that can give the lead in this matter is the Office of Public Works. A permanent interdepartmental committee should be set up which could meet twice yearly with the Office of Public Works, the Shannon Navigation group, the Department of Local Government on behalf of the local authorities, and the Department of Education. All these groups could help in furthering interest and knowledge in Clonmacnoise. Deputies are not in a position to do this. They can submit memoranda but there is little else they can do. The Parliamentary Secretary had a golden opportunity to ensure that the people of the county are made aware of the historic importance of Clonmacnoise.
The Parliamentary Secretary has stated that special schools for mentally and physically handicapped children are being provided. He has stated two projects were completed during the year, work is in progress in two cases and for a further 26 projects preparation work is in progress. In this connection the Office of Public Works can carry out work which will have a lasting and outstanding value. It is astonishing what has been revealed in surveys carried out on mentally and physically handicapped children. It is only by adopting a courageous programme, which would call for expenditure of a vast sum of money, that we will provide sufficient schools and trained personnel to staff the schools. The Office of Public Works should carry out a survey regarding the location of these schools and find out where they are most urgently required. An effort should be made, in conjunction with the Department of Education, to solicit the support of the religious teaching orders who have devoted their time to this work in order to ensure that there will be ample trained staff available. The co-operation of voluntary organisations to assist in this matter should be sought. The provision of facilities for the many physically and mentally handicapped children is a most urgent matter.