Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 December 2019
18. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the reconfigured Moore Street advisory group as recommended in the second Moore Street progress report, which she received in August 2019 will be announced. [51906/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra27. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when she plans to reconvene and reconstitute the Moore Street advisory committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51125/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 27 together.
As the Deputies are aware, the Moore Street Advisory Group (MSAG) was established to represent and work with all stakeholders (including the owner of the development site surrounding the State owned National Monument at Nos. 14 - 17 Moore St) to help broker regeneration solutions that can be supported by all concerned.
I received the report of the MSAG - Securing History 2 - in August and would like to sincerely thank the members for their invaluable contributions during their time on the Group.
One of the key recommendations in the report is that the MSAG should be reconfigured to a smaller more focussed group in order to move the process forward as quickly as possible.
I am delighted to be in a position to confirm that Dr Tom Collins has kindly agreed to take on the role as Chair of the newly reconfigured MSAG. His knowledge of the issues and sensitivities is invaluable and I would like to put on record my thanks to him for accepting the role as well as for chairing the previous group.
On foot of this I have written to all the representative groups to ask them for their nominations to the reconfigured and more focussed MSAG. I would expect to receive these nominations over the coming weeks and the group will convene early in the new year.
I regard the Securing History 2 report as a significant milestone in the revitalisation of this crucial part of our capital city. The proposals put forward by Hammerson are sympathetic to and embrace the history and heritage of O’Connell Street and the Moore Street area and can be aligned with the objectives of protecting the national monument at Nos. 14 -17, opening it to the public and resonating the mercantile, social and political heritage of the area as a 1916 commemorative quarter. I understand that a statement from the Moore Street Traders Association has expressed its members' full backing for the proposals which it sees as providing an important opportunity for their businesses to become viable again.
I welcome the prospect there now is for reviving the Moore Street area and its market and to give Dublin a national main street and historic area to be proud of.
