National Monuments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2022

Thursday, 27 October 2022

Ceisteanna (188)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

188. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of meetings at which the national monument section of his Department or his Department generally was represented on the proposal to compensate Moore Street traders for disruption arising from the proposed development of Dublin central; if public funds were or were to be made available for that purpose; if there are records available of all meetings held including those in attendance; and if he will detail the result of the deliberations. [53988/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Malcolm Noonan)

I refer to the reply to Question No. 249 of 22 September 2022 which sets out the position on the matter regarding meetings.

With regard to the issue of compensation, the May 2021 report of the Moore Street Advisory Group recommended that an adequate and appropriately structured compensation package should be put in place for the Moore Street traders as soon as possible. My Department was indirectly engaged at the same time in some limited preliminary discussions, led by Dublin City Council, regarding compensation for the street traders for a range of separate schemes of works to be carried out by different parties in the area, each of which would disrupt the traders’ business. There has been no further discussion on the matter.

It should be stressed that any compensation that might be provided by my Department would be solely in respect of works at the national monument which fronts fully on to Moore Street and the area where the street traders do their business. At no stage during the live planning application process was my Department in negotiations with the street traders.