Plans by the government to turn the GPO into a mixed-use building have been greeted with a cold reaction from local TDs.
Following recommendations from the Dublin City Taskforce, which identified revitalising the GPO as a key part of the project, the government has opted to turn the GPO into a mixed-use building which will incorporate retail and office elements into the historic site.
Dublin Central is unique insofar as three of the four TDs are from opposition parties, and the Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, and Labour TDs are not in favour of the GPO revamp or the incremental approach to implementing Taskforce recommendations.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald called the plan to redevelop the GPO “shameful.”
Speaking in the Dáil after the plans were announced, McDonald said, “Dublin is the city that fought the British Empire; the Irish revolution broke the most powerful empire on earth at the time.”
She said the GPO “is the building outside which Pádraig Pearse in Easter 1916 read aloud the Proclamation of the Irish Republic; it’s the building inside of which James Connolly led brave volunteers to fight for Irish independence.”
“The GPO was at the epicentre of that rebellion. Our patriots took on the British colonisers and beat them. Nowhere else in the world, in no other country that has fought for its independence, would there be a government so determined to desecrate its hallowed ground.”
“I ask that a stop be put to this cultural and social vandalism,” she said.
McDonald said the GPO has been sold out by the government for “soulless commercial projects.”
“In no other country that fought for its independence would you encounter such blatant disrespect of the nation’s hallowed ground.”
Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan remarked, “Sinn Féin does not have a monopoly when it comes to association with the heroes of 1916.”
He said that the plans for the GPO are “befitting the national historical and cultural importance of the site.”
The government’s plans for the GPO go against the recommendations of the Dublin City Taskforce, which suggested plans to either relocate RTÉ headquarters to the GPO, turn it into a museum or ask members of the public for their suggestions about what to do with the building.
The June 18 edition of the Northside People reported fury from local councillors about the government pulling rank over Dublin City Council members, unilaterally pulling the plug on the development of 200 social housing units without a vote from councillors.
In a similar vein, the government has pushed on with plans to redevelop the GPO without public consultation, acting against the advice of the Taskforce which said that the public should be involved in the process about what to do with the historic site.
Local Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said, “we have been here before – too many announcements, too many promises, and, in the end, too little delivered.”
“For years, this government has watched Dublin’s city centre decay – they have treated Talbot Street, O’Connell Street and surrounding areas as an afterthought.”
Gannon, who broadly welcomes the idea of the Taskforce but doubts the sincerity or level of commitment from the government on the project, said “this new proposal must not be another headline-grabbing announcement that goes nowhere – Dubliners deserve better than to be led up the garden path yet again.”
“Has funding been ringfenced for this project? If so, how much has been set aside? The government must be forthright with these details before any progress is made.”
“We can’t have another project announced with great fanfare only to get bogged down in delays, planning setbacks or a lack of political will. We need accountability, urgency, and a concrete timeline for delivery.”
Gannon said, “I have long called for a comprehensive, properly resourced plan for the revitalisation of the city. The GPO can be a pivotal piece of that – if the government is serious about making it happen.”
“We should all watch closely to ensure that this is the catalyst for long?overdue change in Dublin, and not another missed opportunity.”
Local Labour TD Marie Sherlock said, “for those of us serious about change in Dublin, it is very obvious Dublin City Council cannot do it on its own,” and said that the government’s plans to change Dublin city centre are more incremental rather than being “big and bold.”
“In that context, the involvement of government is absolutely crucial.”
The Taskforce said that dereliction is a major issue which needs to be tackled and said that Dublin City Council should be funded to and given the authority to tackle the issue.
The government’s plans look to freeze Dublin City Council out of the process, instead looking to give remit to the Department of Housing and Local Government on the issue.
Sherlock said “there is a great irony in that the task force rightly recognised that Dublin City Council’s funding should be significantly increased to purchase vacant and derelict property and that there should be a grant aid scheme for city centre essential workers; instead, the government wants to hike up rents for working people, all in the name of inducing more institutional investors to build in Dublin.”
“Good luck to the new oversight board and the legal implementation body – without a bold and imaginative plan and crucially without a clear funding plan, it is almost impossible to see it make the radical changes desperately needed in our city.”
Subtextually, the Fianna Fáil-led coalition government has acted against the advice of the Taskforce, which was set up by Fine Gael leader Simon Harris shortly after he became Taoiseach last year.
The findings of the Taskforce were published last week, and the Taskforce said the ball was now in the court of the Department Of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is controlled by Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers.
Taskforce suggestions, such as the creation of a directly-elected mayoral role similar to what it seen in other European cities, would fall under the remit of that particular government department.
Fine Gael TD James Geohegan, who serves as the party’s spokesperson for Dublin, said, “it is essential this vision is now matched by money.”
“The National Development Plan is being negotiated, and it is essential there is a ringfenced budget for the implementation of the taskforce’s recommendations.”
“This document is not a final blueprint, but a catalyst for debate, designed to stimulate new thinking and encourage a citywide conversation on Dublin’s future,” the Dublin Bay South TD said.
Geoghegan’s hopes of a citywide conversation have been muzzled by the central government; instead of a debate where citizens can have their say, the government has now decided the GPO will be the host to a new coffee shop.
Time will tell what restaurant will be brave or stupid enough to have a menu item that costs €19.16.