asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs when he intends to secure the premises his Department acquired at Lomond Avenue, Dublin 3, against entry by vandals, etc., as its present dilapidated condition is a source of extreme annoyance to local residents.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Department of Posts and Telegraphs Premises .
17.
: Some repair work to secure the premises at Lomond Avenue has been carried out and further repairs are expected to be carried out shortly.
: Can the Minister indicate what precisely he means by "shortly"? Would it be within the next month?
: Yes. I cannot exactly give a guarantee that the work will be carried out within the next month but as soon as it is physically possible it will be done.
18.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the plans his Department have for the house in their ownership in Mill Street in the Liberties area of Dublin; and the steps his Department have taken to preserve the interior of the house against vandalism, given its exceptional architectural interest.
: It is presumed that the House to which the Deputy refers is the premises in Mill Street in the Liberties. The house in question forms part of a more extensive property purchased by my Department to extend the existing telex exchange in Mill Street. Specific plans for the house have not been formulated, but it will probably be adapted for use as office accommodation.
Regarding security of the property my Department have had all window and door openings at basement, ground and first floor level blocked.
: Is the Minister aware of the architectural importance of this building, which dates from the eighteenth century and is the sole Huguenot building in this city? If he is so aware, would he not think that the bricking up of the building without any architectural supervision was in itself an act of vandalism which was absolutely unnecessary to secure the building? Does he not feel that his Department are already guilty of negligence in this regard in that some irreplaceable fittings in this building, including an irreplaceable staircase, were removed from the building by thieves——
: A question.
: ——while this building was in the Department's ownership?
: Were it not for the fact that the Government took the steps they did possibly the building would have been wrecked entirely. It was made the subject of a preservation order in 1971, but this did not preclude internal alterations being carried out to make it suitable for office accommodation.
: Could the Minister indicate the requirement of his Department for office accommodation? I understand that already a great deal of office accommodation is available to his Department for which his Department have no current use. If this is the case, how can the Minister say that this building will be developed for office accommodation for his Department? I suggest that his Department have no use whatever for this building and do not appreciate the value of the building.
: When the building became available it was purchased by the Department. If the Department had not purchased the building at the time a building in that area might not be available when they would need a building. We need it for office accommodation, and were it not for the fact that it was necessary for office accommodation it would not have been purchased.
: Ceist Uimhir 19.
: I have two points by way of a final supplementary. If the Minister is concerned about the condition of the building and its preservation, will he ensure that repairs are carried out immediately to the roof of the building which has not been attended to at all? Will the Minister also examine whether the building is required for offices or required at all by his Department? If there is no definite requirement will he consider and respond to the application by the Liberties Association who have asked that they be given the use of the building and they, in conjunction with an AnCO community training programme, will renovate——
: This is a very long question.
: ——and rehabilitate the building for community purposes?
: I will have the points raised by Deputy Gregory investigated and will communicate with him directly on this.