Vol. 406 No. 7
2 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he will ensure that the necessary financial assistance is forthcoming to restore No. 33 Synge Street, Dublin 8 which is the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
76 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if financial assistance is being provided to have the birth place of George Bernard Shaw, at 33 Synge Street, Dublin, restored.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 76 together.
I arranged for a grant of £10,000 towards the acquisition of this house as a Shaw museum. It was understood that the Trustees were proceeding with their own restoration and fund-raising programme.
Does the Taoiseach not acknowledge that the £10,000 that he arranged for by way of grant is, in fact, £10,000 from the slush fund, set up under the Soldiers and Sailors Act and that the British Embassy have given £15,000 to the project? It is a national disgrace that the birthplace of Shaw, who was one of our three Nobel prize winners, should be in such a state of dereliction that we are ashamed to bring people to it during the year when this city is the cultural capital of Europe.
I am disappointed that the Deputy should refer to the Irish soldiers and sailors land trust fund as a slush fund. It is nothing of the sort. It is a very valuable fund which was set up for excellent purposes. The whole purpose of the fund is to promote projects which have an all-Ireland complex. For that reason the fund was used by me to make a contribution to the people who are setting about restoring 33 Synge Street. At that time the proposal was that this private group would arrange the funding and that the funding required from the State side would be very minimal.
Does the Taoiseach not acknowledge that it is, in fact, a misnomer to say that this is a direct grant from the Government? The Government have not given anything directly. Does he not acknowledge that there are Shaw societies throughout the length and breadth of the world and that if Shaw's birthplace was in any other country it would be restored on the lines of Abbotsford for Scott, Windermere for Wordsworth or the Bronte parsonage and that it should be tackled as a matter of urgency even if it means making money available from the national lottery?
That could be considered.
May I ask the Taoiseach what will happen about this house?
The position is that there are a group of persons, estimable people, who have decided to restore this house and turn it into a Shaw museum. Their intention was to get seed money from the Government and then proceed with their own fund raising. That is the position.
What will the job cost?
That is a separate question.
As I understand it the cost will be quite considerable. I can inform the House that the matter was referred to the heritage council who indicated that in their view it was not a project that called for support by them.
A final question from Deputy Bruton.
May I ask the Taoiseach if he would ask the heritage council to re-examine their view on this matter in view of the fact that the amount of money available is inadequate and that something should be done?
Deputies opposite have a great penchant for spending other people's money but I have to be careful.
The Taoiseach spent a lot of it himself.
I am a Member of the House, just as the Taoiseach is. It is public money we are talking about and not anybody's personal money.
Just a moment ago the Deputy's colleague said it was not State money.
Question No. 3, please.
