Having worked with the relatives and campaigned for many years to save the National Monument on Moore Street and ensure an appropriate preservation and commemoration of the battlefield site I wholly welcome the decision by the High Court to declare Moore Street a battlefield site. In 2012 myself and other City Councillors worked together to produce the Moore Street Report which included a comprehensive list of recommendations including a request that the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht commission a “battlefield site assessment”. We presented our report and recommendations to the then Minister but unfortunately the Government failed to adopt our recommendation or undertake the “battlefield site assessment”. The High Court ruling proves that the Government got it wrong, they failed the relatives of 1916 heros. The Government should now apologise to the relatives and correct their mistake by immediately commissioning a “battlefield site assessment” and fast track a debate on the Fianna Fáil Moore Street Area Renewal and Development Bill which is supported by the relatives and will create a development authority responsible for driving and ensuring the renewal and development of not just the National Monument but the entire historic battlefield site.
