Neale Richmond
Dublin Rathdown · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I am grateful to Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this once again. I welcome the comments by his party leader this week when she declared that this is a great State and a great place to live in. It makes a welcome change from most other days of the week.”
“Another thing that must be looked at when discussing a united Ireland is that a lot of work has to be done to show example from political representatives on the base level of sectarianism that at least two other colleagues on these benches and I put up with every day.”
“They could not decide among themselves in the "Yes" campaign whether they would have a new form of sterling or a currency pegged to sterling or adopt the euro. That is not an issue for us. We join the European Union and we join the euro. It is simple as.”
“I will make a few concluding remarks to follow on from some of the points made by the Taoiseach in his opening iteration because in his 20 minutes he did not cover them all.”
“Over the coming months, we will act impartially serving as an honest broker among our fellow member states to progress many files in areas that were raised here today. Our work will respond to the overall interests and needs of the union, its member states and citizens across Europe.”
“More pertinently to the Deputy's questions, very real charges have been placed in The Irish Times and by other investigative journalists stating that the amounts of alumina being produced from Aughinish are going indirectly to the Russian war machine. If that is the case, it is completely unacceptable.”
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“That is due not just to the decision of the United States but to many other actors and that is having a direct consequence. Over the next number of months, there is a real weight on the shoulders of Ireland to develop huge progress on agreeing an EU budget, the multi-annual financial framework. Key to that is making sure that the ring-fenced commitment to development co-operation and humanitarian aid is supported and that that, in turn, will support countries like Nepal.”
“This will bring me to a broader section but I want to very much keep Nepal in the mind's eye because it is a key partner of the EU and one of the main areas where the EU provides supports is in the area of good governance, which would be of great support to the new, young parliament. Deputy Ó Fearghaíl described issues in relation to migration, remittances and poverty. There are over 3,000 Nepalese citizens here in the Republic and only 40 Irish citizens in Nepal, who are mainly doing voluntary and missionary work in the aid sector. It comes back to the whole area of development co-operation, which is an area completely under attack. We are living at a time when the EU and its member states represent over 50% of global development co-operation and if we throw in Britain and Norway, that rises to two thirds.”
“I actually met his predecessor this week last year in Seville. The undertaking, regardless of who the leadership comprises in Nepal, is that Ireland will continue to be a partner at a bilateral level and also, crucially, at a European level and there is a great opportunity for that in due course.”
“It is really important to mention that over the last number of years Nepal has, unfortunately, been the victim of a number of very serious natural disasters. In 2023, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck, killing 153 people and injuring 400, at which time Ireland, through the Red Cross and Red Crescent, contributed to an EU aid package of €2 million. In April 2015, a more devastating earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck just north west of Kathmandu. It was the worst in 80 years and over 8,700 people died. In response, Ireland directly provided €1.6 million in humanitarian response. I note the Deputy's comment that, following very real youth protests and what was a sort of Gen z movement, we saw in March the election of 275 members and a new Prime Minister, a man younger than me, from the national independent party.”
“Through our partnership with Misean Cara, which supports missionaries working to empower those left furthest behind, Ireland also provides support to education. In 2025, just under €94,000 in Irish Aid funding was allocated by Misean Cara for projects seeking to address school dropout rates among marginalised communities and children with disabilities in one of the most isolated districts of Nepal, as well as providing education on non-communicable diseases. Through the embassy in New Delhi, which is accredited to Nepal, support was also provided to five smaller projects. These were focused on empowering people with disabilities, mental health, women and girls, and promotion of local economic growth through environmentally sustainable work. In 2025, total development assistance to Nepal through these channels amounted to €700,000.”
“This work addresses the structural causes of gender-based violence, promotes women’s empowerment and leadership and helps address the impact of climate change. Through the civil society fund, we are providing €300,000 to support the work of smaller Irish organisations active in Nepal. These include the Irish Red Cross, the Nepal Leprosy Trust and the Social and Health Education Project. I have met two of those in very recent months when we brought the organisations specifically working on leprosy together at the Irish Aid offices in Limerick. Their projects focus on promoting social inclusion as well as improving health and well-being for the most vulnerable, including people affected by leprosy. Capacity-strengthening supports are also provided.”
“I am very grateful to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl for raising an issue and a country that, perhaps, never receives the sort of attention it deserves. The Government's international development programme, Irish Aid, works globally to support the furthest behind first, focusing the major part of our official development assistance on the world's least developed countries. Nepal is classified as a least developed country. We have a number of multi-annual commitments in place for assistance in Nepal, and funding levels are expected to stay largely stable for the duration of these commitments. Through the main funding mechanism for Irish-based international development organisations, Ireland's civil society partnership for a better world, we are providing €270,000 annually for Action Aid Ireland’s work in Nepal.”
“The conversation has long since started - we all know that - but since the post-Brexit years it has stepped into a very different space for a lot of individuals on this island, who perhaps were not at that stage and have been facilitated in more non-confrontational aspects to do that. From my party's point of view, that is certainly what we want to bring forward. Our vision of unity will probably be different from Deputy Gould's vision of unity but that is okay, and that is something people need to realise in due course. To go back to the key point of the all-island economy and the here and now, that is where the Government has the immediate responsibility to develop those very tangible links such as when Senator Conor Murphy, as the then Minister for the Economy of Northern Ireland, and I set up the first all-island trade mission.”
“Just to clarify, it is not a matter of waiting for someone. It is the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Ultimately, the responsibility to deem whether a border poll is necessary lies with the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. That is just a legal fact. Deputy Gould and I might not like it but we cannot fight it. It is not a matter of waiting. In my opinion, it is a period to use those two years to learn from the lessons of Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum and identify the issues. I look forward to speaking on Sinn Féin's Private Members' Bill next week from both a personal point of view and a ministerial point of view.”
“People would play their part and would know what they were voting on. That is my opinion on it but I would welcome a conversation on it, if that makes sense.”
“There were two motions in the last calendar year in the Seanad and the Dáil that the Government did not oppose. I believe a citizens' assembly should be held after the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has deemed that a poll is necessary. In that window, where the Secretary of State says a poll is needed and before that happens, we should have the citizens' assembly. We would use the workings of that citizens' assembly to make sure that when people go to vote in the referendum, there are two clear objectives. I am not looking to be confrontational or political about it but I fear that if we had a citizens' assembly now, there would 50% attendance and we would not have the richness of conversation as opposed having a citizens' assembly where people knew there would be a legally binding referendum and a vote.”
“I will try to answer this as much politically as well as from a departmental and ministerial point of view. I acknowledge the Deputy's comments in relation to the Tánaiste's announcement in recent days. The name of my party is Fine Gael, or The United Ireland Party. I have been speaking about this for my entire political career. I go back to Dr. Garret FitzGerald's book Towards a New Ireland from 1972 and his work on bringing about an Anglo-Irish Agreement over 40 years ago that gave Dublin a say. I participated at many meetings of Ireland's Future. Just last week our former party leader and iar-Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, spoke at an SDLP conference, which was very well attended. I do not disagree with the principle of a citizens' assembly. I believe that we will not oppose the Sinn Féin Private Members' business next week.”
“The shared island initiative engages with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future, regardless of whatever shape future constitutional change may take on the island, or between these islands. The Government has always stated that in the event of a future referendum, within the consent provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, it will make all necessary preparations in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and the principles and procedures of the agreement. I look forward to working through some of these issues with the Deputy over the next few minutes.”
“The all-island economy is also supported by the Windsor Framework, which protects the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and provides certainty for people and businesses across the island of Ireland. It ensures that Northern Ireland retains access to the EU’s Single Market for goods, and, crucially, avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland. The Government also invests in the all-island economy through the shared island initiative which is enhancing co-operation, connection, and mutual understanding. Since 2020, over € 1 billion has been allocated to a range of major cross-Border projects and programmes. Last week, the Government announced €377 million in shared-island funding, including for major infrastructure investments in transport, energy and health.”
“I thank Deputy Gould sincerely for bringing forward this very timely issue. Supporting the all-island economy is a priority for the Government. This continues to grow, with figures for cross-Border trade now at over €17.2 billion. The institutions of the Good Friday Agreement help us co-operate with and understand one another, North and South, east and west, for the benefit of all the citizens of these islands. Since the restoration of the institutions in 2024, the North-South Ministerial Council has met 49 times across different formats to facilitate practical North-South co-operation in a breadth of areas. The Department of foreign affairs also continues to engage with business and stakeholders on North-South issues.”
“I referenced the role of Irish peacekeepers - missionaries also played a part - over the period. This is a conflict and a humanitarian disaster that we absolutely will continue to keep to the fore at European level, at bilateral level and, more broadly, through our work with the United Nations.”
“I am very grateful to the Deputy for referring to the very real Irish connection, not just with Democratic Republic of Congo but also with the wider region, including Uganda and neighbouring countries that are often responsible for many of the impacts of these crises, be they conflicts or humanitarian crises. There are over 2,000 Irish citizens in the broader region. Most of them work in the aid sector. Trócaire has a significant presence there. The CEO of Trócaire was due to travel there until very recently. He was in Rwanda during the Easter period. Oxfam has a very real presence in Democratic Republic of Congo as well. It is one of Ireland's largest humanitarian partners outside of our programme countries. Within Irish Aid, we have a very strong history of working in this region.”
“In Uganda, 20 confirmed cases have been reported, including deaths. One confirmed case was reported in France on 24 June. This outbreak continues to spread. The deteriorating condition of health systems due to the removal of development assistance is certainly having a serious impact and gives rise very real concern, not just on the part of the Irish Government but also among many of our partners. The CEOs of Oxfam Ireland and Trócaire have written about this very recently.”
“We can all agree that the history of this part of Africa, from the pillaging days of King Leopold, to the decades after, to the time when Irish peacekeepers lost their lives there and to the days of Zaire and beyond, has been absolutely horrendous and has been marred by conflict, disease and cruelty. To be quite frank, there was cruelty on the part of western partners as well as domestic actors. Unfortunately, this is the latest chapter of a very vicious conflict that is compounding the escalation of an outbreak of a disease that many people cannot fathom the severity of. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control assesses the infection risk for people living in Ireland and elsewhere in the EU to be very low. However, as of 28 June, Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 1,274 confirmed cases, including 360 deaths.”
“The Minister, Deputy McEntee, discussed the conflict and the Ebola outbreak with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Democratic Republic of Congo, Ms Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, during her visit to Ireland in May Ireland recognises the importance of the EU’s voice being heard in respect of this grave security and humanitarian situation. We support efforts to agree further EU action to respond to the crisis. EU Humanitarian Commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, visited the region in February for meetings regarding the conflict and in June to discuss the Ebola outbreak. Again, we will closely follow these issues during our Presidency of the Council of the European Union.”
“In the context of the Ebola outbreak, to date far in 2026, Ireland has provided €3 million for the WHO general programme of work. A sum of €2 million has been approved for the WHO contingency fund for emergencies, which released €3.3 million to support government responses in Democratic Republic of Congo and, crucially, Uganda. Ireland’s NGO partners have also drawn down contingency funding and accessed items from our humanitarian stockpiles. Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the top recipients of Irish humanitarian funding. Between 2020 and 2025, Ireland contributed over €30 million in humanitarian assistance for Democratic Republic of Congo.”
“I am very grateful to Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this issue. The Government remains deeply concerned by the security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some progress has been made in the peace process facilitated by the United States, Qatar and the African Union, but the situation remains a matter for very serious concern. We join calls on all parties to respect ceasefire agreements and engage in a process to attain a sustainable peace. All sides must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure unhindered humanitarian access. These are critical factors in enabling an effective response to the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo.”
“Unfortunately, Sudan is often a forgotten crisis for too many people. We know how what is happening is spreading across to the entire region and of the sheer scale of the numbers of those affected. Hundreds of thousands of people who have died, millions are being displaced and millions are facing hunger. This crisis is simply too grave and too big for Ireland not to use every diplomatic tool at its disposal to continue to highlight what is happening and to continue to exert pressure.”
“Absolutely. Let us not mince our words. What is occurring in Sudan is the worst humanitarian disaster on the planet. There are acts of pure depravity being perpetrated. Rape is being used as a weapon of war on a scale that has not been seen for a long time. The Irish Government is absolutely committed to continuing to keeping Sudan at the top of the agenda. We have done this consistently at European Council meetings. We have done this through the UN, particularly at the UN General Assembly high-level week. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has included it as an item for the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting. I raised it at the most recent meeting of the development ministers. It will be discussed at the informal meeting of development ministers to be held in Dublin in October.”
“We also see the continuing need for a strong humanitarian response, which Ireland certainly has not been found wanting on, the need to expand the UN embargo, which we have talked about before, and the need to consistently raise this matter with partners. I note the Deputy's reference to the UAE. As he knows, I have raised that matter with the Minister a number of times. I raised it with the Ambassador again just yesterday. I will continue to raise it.”
“In reference to El-Obeid, on 19 June, Fr. Youhanna Al-Amin, a Roman Catholic priest, was killed in an attack on Holy Cross parish church. On the same date, in another attack on an office and warehouse of a partner organisation of Trócaire in South Kordofan, a guard working for the organisation was killed and a colleague wounded. The warehouse, which contained UNICEF medical and nutrition supplies, was looted. Trócaire is an organisation familiar to all of us. We know that the work of Trócaire takes place on a worldwide basis; it is not just located in Maynooth. The depravity that happened in El Fasher and to which the Deputy referred is unfortunately spreading. We see that in terms of what is happening at El-Obeid.”
“The EU and its member states, including Ireland, pledged over €812 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people in Sudan and to respond to the regional refuge crisis. Ireland will significantly increase our humanitarian assistance this year from over €14.3 million provided in 2025 to €21 million this year. Our funding will be channelled through trusted partners to reach the most vulnerable. On 12 June, we launched a call for proposals from Irish agency partners working on the ground in hard-to-reach areas in Sudan. My Government colleagues and I are determined to ensure that this devastating crisis is not sidelined or forgotten. We will continue to ensure a sustained focus on Sudan during our Presidency.”
“On 23 June, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, signed a joint ministerial statement from Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK on the situation in El Obeid. The Ministers stressed that external support continues to sustain the conflict and called on those fuelling the conflict to cease. Those with influence must exercise it now to avoid further bloodshed. Ireland also continues to advocate for the expansion of the UN embargo to the whole country. The critical issue of humanitarian access and the need to remove bureaucratic obstacles to aid are at the heart of Ireland's diplomatic engagement on Sudan. I attended the International Sudan Conference in Berlin on 15 April.”
“I thank the Deputy for consistently raising this issue in questions and debates and shining a light on what is the greatest humanitarian disaster currently happening on this planet. The conflict in Sudan continues to have a devastating impact on the Sudanese people, particularly women and children. I am particularly alarmed by the Rapid Support Forces' offensive of the city of El Obeid. Following their appalling attacks in El Fasher last year, there is a grave risk of the RSF committing further mass atrocities. The warring parties must adhere to their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. Civilians must be able to leave the city safely and all parties must ensure rapid, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access.”
“We have a great opportunity and a great responsibility, and we are absolutely blessed to have a diplomatic and official team of over 500 individuals in Brussels and hundreds of people around our network who will drive an ambitious policy agenda and, crucially, a smooth Presidency that will be inclusive and welcoming and will get the job done. I look forward to all Members of the Oireachtas contributing to that and not just using these annual debates or the Europe Day debates to air whatever local grievances they have. Go raibh maith agat.”
“I had the honour of working on the pilot project in that year. We also see the county pairings with member states. Dublin is tied with Greece, and I am delighted that the Greek ambassador could join me for Europe Day in St. Brigid’s Boys National School. Deputy Gogarty, also known by his stage name, His Sweet Surprise, in reference to his singing abilities, rightly championed the breathtaking cultural performances we heard in Dublin Castle today. Throughout this Presidency, we will see a real focus on our cultural offering as a nation and a people. This is also the first time where Gaeilge will be an official working language of the European Union under an Irish Presidency. This gives us a great opportunity. In conclusion, we have an immense challenge in front of us, which is coming at a stage when the world is in flux.”
“Our Presidency provides a valuable opportunity for reflection on what it means for Ireland to be a member of the European Union in 2026 and what our enduring place within the Union means. This is why we have had serious levels of extensive consultation and outreach across the State. I was delighted to hold a development consultation on 8 December. The views we heard all contributed towards an ambitious policy programme that we can and will absolutely deliver on. It is also reflective of the shared priorities and aspirations. Deputy Clendennen also highlighted the need to make sure this is used as a template for re-engagement. This is why we see a children’s version of our Presidency policy programme. The Blue Star programme that he referred to was born out of the 2013 Presidency.”
“I look forward to seeing all-party agreement on that again in this budget. It is why we want to make sure that it is at the heart and the soul of the process when we have the first development informal meeting in 18 months in Dublin on 8 and 9 October. I thought of bringing it to Leopardstown Racecourse and maybe having a night at Johnny Fox's, but common sense prevailed. The second aspect in this context is really important. It is about communicating effectively with people so they understand what these decisions mean in practice and how they affect their communities, jobs, opportunities and daily lives. This is why it is important that everybody across Ireland has the opportunity to engage with the Presidency.”
“I have no doubt that we will be able to move budgetary proposals into a position where we will be able to hand them over in a very good condition to be agreed under the Lithuanian Presidency. I really want to underline, as the Minister of State with special responsibility for international development, as Deputy Ó Murchú laid out, that the abolition of USAID puts the focus on Europe. The European Union and its member states now account for over 50% of global development co-operation. Throw in Norway and Britain and we account for over two thirds of the world’s development co-operation. When it comes to budgetary discussions, Europe cannot fail the Global South. Irish Aid has stood tall. We are one of two member states, the other being Spain, to have increased our development budget.”
“We need to have a bit of relativity and reasonableness in these debates. A successful Presidency is about two things. First, it is about making real progress on important legislative and policy proposals that will help to shape Europe’s future. I do not intend to repeat the areas led out by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, or the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, but I will touch on two points raised respectively by Deputy Ward and Deputy Ó Murchú. Crucially, there is also the importance of the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, which was also touched on by Deputy O’Donoghue. I appreciate Deputy Ward’s desire to highlight expectation management, but in the very same period, in the grips of the financial crash, this same responsibility landed on the last Irish Presidency in 2013.”
“An article is going around the national press, amplified by a number of elected representatives at local and Oireachtas levels, claiming that this Presidency is going to cost us €400 million and that it is, somehow, multiples of the cost of other Presidencies. I do not know how this figure has been arrived at. The exact cost, excluding security, will be €168 million. The cost of the Presidency in France was €145 million, in Sweden it was €121 million and in Spain it was €170 million. Deputy Gould is also outraged that there will be limited access to UCC tomorrow as we host the entire College of Commissioners. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and I know that we are not in term time now. While there are staff members in UCC, one day and a couple of hours of limited access is not somehow an attack on people by the elites.”
“I will go back to the point concluded on by my friend Deputy Ó Murchú, and alluded to by Deputies O'Rourke and Kenny, on making sure the North is part of this. I was cheered to see the likes of the First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, and the leader of the SDLP, Clare Hanna, at the event today. Crucially, one thing left out by Deputies O'Rourke and Kenny was that the reason the European Council agreed unanimously that a united Ireland would be automatically part of the European Union was due to the advocacy of the former Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, at one of the first European Council meetings after Brexit. Deputy Gould raised the issue of costs. This is an important issue of misinformation that needs to be tackled.”
“This is why the Government has been determined from day one that the Presidency belongs to the entire country and not only the capital, a concern laid out by Deputy Clendennen. By hosting six of our 22 informal meetings and approximately one quarter of all of Presidency events outside of Dublin, stretching into every part of the State, we are ensuring the Presidency leaves a truly national footprint. I had the honour of working on our previous Presidency with the European Movement in 2013 and it very much had a Dublin focus. There were only 11 informal meetings compared to the 22 we will host this time, and none of those took place outside of Dublin. Of course, there were no other summits.”
“We have had the largest continuous period of peace between what are now EU member states in the history of mankind, and certainly in the history of the nation state. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, in her lengthy intervention, supplemented by the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, in addition to the various speeches today, set out that our policy agenda for the latter half of this year is ambitious. To support this policy agenda we will host an extensive programme of Presidency meetings, with more than 270 events including a European Political Community summit, where the Heads of Government of at least 47 countries will come to Ireland. We also look forward to the informal meeting of the European Council here in Dublin in November. Alongside this, we will host 22 informal ministerial meetings.”
“Deputies Gogarty and O'Donoghue very eloquently talked about the need to make sure that we do not just pay lip service to security and that security is one of our values. The fact it is one of the three value points in our Presidency is not just a matter of words. I take very seriously Deputy O'Donoghue's criticism and I take it on the chin but, of course, what he failed to include is that the retention crisis in the Defence Forces is starting to reverse. In the past two years, we have seen more people joining and that is a good thing. The average numbers are turning around. The investment in naval vessels and radar technology is real and it goes to the heart of what the European project really is in its iteration and creation. It is a peace project and it is the most successful peace project.”
“The era of mass emigration was in full flow and continued for many years, perhaps only starting to stem off when the EEC became the European Union. We were an economically lacking, socially regressive country whose water and air quality standards do not bear thinking about. Deputy Kenny very eloquently provided the muster as to why we need a strong Common Agricultural Policy as part of the MFF. The reason we have the CAP is for the very basis of food security, an issue that has returned to European shores in light of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, the breadbasket of Europe. Food security must, of course, come back to being a central argument in budgetary negotiations.”
“She married in 1971 and was sacked from Ulster Bank, and I can give out about it now that it is no longer in the jurisdiction. In 1973, she had my considerably older brother and was sacked from a supposedly more progressive bank. It did not change until 1976. In 1972, the year we voted to join the EEC and Deputy Ó Murchú's political movement, of course, opposed that referendum, 55% of exports from Ireland went to Britain. Today it is in and around 10%. We were wholly reliant on our former colonial administrator to be the customer for our products and, in many cases, the receptive home for so many of our people. Our biggest export on paper may have been butter, beef or whiskey but really it was people.”
“I thank all of the Deputies who have contributed to this very timely and pertinent debate as we embark on the eighth Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union since our accession in 1973, following the first Presidency in 1975. My dear friend Deputy Ó Murchú has laid out his concerns about the supposed failure of the European Union, to be expected from a party that has opposed every European referendum and Europe in its entirety until Brexit showed up. I appreciate the comments he has made. It is really important in this context to look at how Ireland has changed since we first joined the EEC in 1973. The average income of an Irish worker was two thirds that of the EU average then and it is now more than double the European average. At that time my mother was the victim of the marriage bar.”
“We are not going to resolve this situation this evening. I do not believe the Deputies expect me to resolve it. Unfortunately, I am just in the firing line of their ire. That is the lot I have drawn this evening. However, I will write to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, asking to arrange an urgent deputation meeting, involving him, the Deputies and the other interested party. That is the best I can do in the position I have. I give them my absolute commitment to do that. I have absolute sympathy for the case they have raised.”
“I completely understand the frustration and indeed anger of the Deputies and I do not contest it in any way. As a young history undergraduate student, I spent hours and hours - not quite 700 hours - in the gaol itself carrying out my own primary research and it was invaluable. I have a well-thumbed copy of Ghosts of Kilmainham . It was not actually mine originally; it was my sister’s. She also studied history, albeit she was smarter than me and got into Trinity College. Regarding the points made by the Deputies, while there are no plans to proceed with an OPW-sponsored relaunch event, the importance of the publication and the historical record contained in it is fully acknowledged. The publication continues and will continue to be available and remains an important account of the restoration story of Kilmainham Gaol.”
“I assure the Deputies that the Minister of State and the OPW greatly value the contribution made by those who helped to save Kilmainham Gaol and remain committed to preserving and presenting this important national monument to the highest standards. In the last month I had the good fortune to bring my children there for the first time. I know I join everyone in the House who is absolutely spellbound by the story that it tells, the importance of that story to our history and the importance of making sure that story is fully accessible to all, particularly our younger generation. I will do anything I can do to assist the Deputies, through the OPW or otherwise, to make sure that it is preserved.”
“The publication continues to be available to visitors and remains an important part of the historical record of the site. Proposals regarding an OPW-sponsored relaunch event for the publication have been considered. However, as the publication has been available for a number of years and continues to be available, it has been decided that an OPW-sponsored relaunch event will not proceed. The OPW remains committed to ensuring that the role of the restoration society and the many volunteers associated with the restoration of Kilmainham Gaol is appropriately recognised through the interpretation and presentation of the site and through ongoing engagement with interested stakeholders.”
“Rather, its purpose has been advisory in nature, providing an independent perspective on the condition, use and interpretation of Kilmainham Gaol. The most recent board of visitors was appointed in late 2019 for a five-year term. Throughout its existence, the board has operated on a voluntary basis and has provided an important link to those involved in the restoration and preservation of the gaol. The contribution of its members over many years is acknowledged and appreciated by the OPW and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. It will continue to receive the support that is required. In relation to the publication of Ghosts of Kilmainham , the Minister of State wishes to acknowledge the significance of the work and the valuable record it provides of the restoration of Kilmainham Gaol and the people who made that achievement possible.”
“The Office of Public Works recognises not only the significance of the gaol itself, but also the extraordinary contribution made by the members of the Kilmainham Gaol Restoration Society and the many volunteers whose commitment and dedication helped to rescue the building from dereliction and secure its future for generations to come. As alluded to by Deputy Devine, following the transfer of the gaol to State care in 1986, a board of visitors was established to maintain a connection with those individuals and to provide an independent forum through which observations and recommendations relating to the gaol could be conveyed to the Minister. The board operates on a non-statutory basis and has no formal executive, management or governance role in the operation of the site.”
“I am very grateful to Deputies Devine and Ó Snodaigh for raising this important matter and for their continued personal and political interest in Kilmainham Gaol and its remarkable history. I did enjoy some of the interventions this evening. I was not aware of Labour Party’s opposition in the 1950s. That is a slight on me and our former coalition friends. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, has asked me to read a couple things into the record, which is not for the Deputies’ benefit, as they can understand, but it is for the Chamber’s benefit as a whole. I know what I am about to read contains information they both know, having been intimately involved in it for a long time. For the benefit of the House, Kilmainham Gaol occupies a unique place in Ireland's national story.”