SENATOR Jerry Buttimer said that “it doesn’t make sense” to move the Seanad to Cork while Leinster House undergoes restoration.
Responding to a call from his Fine Gael colleague Senator Tim Lombard to use Cork City Hall or Cork County Hall temporarily, the Seanad Leader said that the idea was not practical.
“This is the upper house of the Oireachtas. You can’t just decamp 60 senators, their staff, the IT system, the workers associated with the house, the recording equipment and move it all over the country.
“Saying we should move to Cork or other parts of the county doesn’t get the point,” he said.The suggestion came after a public row between the Oireachtas and the neighbouring National Museum, which the Seanad plans to use while it has to vacate its current chamber.
Senator Jerry Buttimer.
People involved with the museum say that using the Ceramic Room as a temporary chamber would disrupt educational work and exhibitions. However, Mr Buttimer and others have said that the investments made in the building to accommodate the Seanad, like adding an elevator to make the upper floors wheelchair accessible, would be of value to the museum.
“It’s important to acknowledge the sensitivity of the people that work in the museum. That’s regrettable, but I hope we can make it work,” said Mr Buttimer.
He said that the renovations need to take place soon, as there are a number of concerns about Leinster House.
“This is a 300-year-old building that needs structural reform,” he said.
He said that work to protect Leinster House needed to be completed in time for upcoming centenary events, like the meeting of the first Dáil, which will be marked in 2019.
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