Junior minister for heritage criticises 'outrageous' Sinn Féin arguments against GPO revamp
His comments come in response to a Dáil motion from Sinn Féin later today, which seeks to recognise the 'consistent, widespread and negligent destruction of Ireland's republican revolutionary history presided over by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments'.
The GPO was the headquarters of the Irish Volunteers during the Easter Rising of 1916.
The Cork South West TD, who is a junior minister in the Department of Housing, said the government will be putting down a counter motion to this 'for obvious reasons'.
'Some of the points being suggested in Sinn Féin's motion are absolutely outrageous, for want of a better word. Especially coming from a party that was only established in the 70s,' he said.
Sinn Féin was founded by Arthur Griffith in 1905, the party later split in the early 1920s. The modern Sinn Féin became a political force in the 1970s.
O'Sullivan argued that his party and Fine Gael have invested in commemorating the early revolutionary period of the Irish State and noted that €10m has already been invested in the current GPO experience and exhibition.
'We absolutely hold this period of Ireland's history dear to our hearts…Sinn Féin don't own this. They don't own the narrative. We all have a connection to that revolutionary period,' he said.
Advertisement
Last week, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the government's plans for the GPO as 'another shameful betrayal of Ireland's proud revolutionary history'.
Plans for shops in the GPO
Asked today by
The Journal
to elaborate on what shops are planned for the iconic building, and if, for example, it will include a Carroll's gift shop, the junior minister said that it was 'way, way too early for me speculating on what may or may not be there'.
He said the project will be led by the Office of Public Works and that there will be a public consultation ahead of the final design.
'Just to reiterate, the focus on what happens at the GPO will be on its importance in terms of the role that it played in 1916 and that historically cultural importance,' O'Sullican said.
He said the design of the GPO will be based on the recommendations of the Dublin City Taskforce.
'So what we do know is the three recommendations it did suggest were, first and foremost, that focus on the importance in terms of its cultural, historical importance.
'That will be the main focus, and everything that will be done will complement that. There will be a civic office aspect to it, and there will be a retail aspect to it as well,' the junior minister said.
He added that there is already a retail aspect to the GPO complex, with over 27 shops on the Henry Street side.
This was a reference to the GPO Arcade, which is one of the most distinctive shopping facilities in Dublin, and is located at the back of the GPO post office and museum, with a separate entrance.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Thousands of people line streets for Belfast Pride
Thousands of people have taken part in Belfast's annual Pride parade while thousands more lined the route as the march made its way through the city centre. The theme this year was 'Not Going Back' which organisers said reflected their belief that rights already achieved were coming under pressure. Stormont's four main executive parties, Sinn Féin, the DUP, Alliance and the UUP had been told that they were not welcome at the parade. That is because they voted to approve an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for under 18s in Northern Ireland last December. Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir who is a member of the Alliance Party took part in a personal capacity along with a church group. The parade started at Custom House Square at 1pm and made its way through the city centre before finishing at Victoria Street. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was disappointed that executive parties had been asked not to attend. She posted about Pride on social media this morning saying she wished those attending well and that she was "committed to building a future where everyone in our LGBTQIA+ is seen, valued and treated equally". A number of organisations said they would not be attending the event in an official capacity. They include the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the PSNI.
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
New legislation could allow people choose who inherits their estate, say tax group
'CHOSEN RELATIONSHIP' LEGISLATION could allow individuals select one or two heirs to their estate under the same grouping as parent and child, a specialist expert group has told government. The Tax Strategy Group, an expert advisory panel at the Department of Finance, has noted that the point has been made that people who are not related could have 'equally close and meaningful relationships similar to familial relationships'. The tax experts state that there are a number of ways to develop a policy to capture these 'chosen' relationships. 'For instance, legislation could provide for individuals to select one or two heirs to their estate for Group A Threshold,' it states. Currently, Group A deals with the inheritance to a child (including certain foster children) when a parent dies. This threshold was increased in 2024 to €400,000 from a previous value of €335,000. Penalising people with no children However, in the run up to the election, a debate arose around inheritance tax rules favouring parents and penalising someone who is child-free. The net result in this situation, where 'chosen relationships' could be included in this grouping, would be a tax-free threshold, state the experts, however the paper said that this was not possible to cost. 'Therefore, the costings have been calculated on the basis of three separate instances of a tax-free €400,000 threshold for each group. This would create an additional cost to the Exchequer of €390 million based on up-to-date Revenue data,' state the review papers. Advertisement The Programme for Government contains a commitment to maintain a broad tax base of which Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT or inheritance tax) is one contributory element, state the papers. 'However, it is important to get some sense of the cost of various changes to a particular tax as these are factors which the Minister for Finance must consider when deciding upon his broader budget package. This is particularly relevant this year because of the case being made to expand the scope of Group A to include broader family arrangements,' said the tax experts. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made a number of pledges in their election manifestos around the expansion on inheritance tax groupings. Fianna Fáil pledged to review the inheritance tax thresholds applicable when the deceased does not have children. The party also said it would increase and adjust the inheritance tax Category A, B and C thresholds in each budget 'to reflect the wider increase in property prices in the Irish economy in recent years'. Meanwhile, Fine Gael will said it would increase Capital Acquisitions Tax thresholds and raise Group A threshold (for children) to €500,000, Group B (for siblings) to €75,000, and Group C (for others) to €50,000, 'building on the progress made in Budget 2025″, it said. The tax review papers directly address whether there is discrimination at play when it comes to the differential tax treatment for direct familial relationships and more distant relationships, stating that this has existed in the Irish legal system since the foundation of the State. 'This is reflected explicitly in the Constitution, most clearly in Article 41. The current CAT legal framework, differentiating between Groups A, B and C takes account of this constitutional framework,' states the review papers, stating that it is the beneficiary of the inheritance or gift and not the person who passes away who has to pay the inheritance tax. 'In this context, it is not clear that there is a case that disponers are being discriminated against. Instead, legal concerns, if any should be viewed from the perspective of those who are liable for the tax i.e. the beneficiary. 'It should be noted that it is not clear that such concerns exist here either, as it is not uncommon for the tax system to tax people in different ways depending on the situation or their circumstances,' states the report. The Department is satisfied that the existing inheritance tax legislation and the taxation benefits are not unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful, states the review. Related Reads Financial advisor: Thinking of retiring? Here are the things to consider... Opinion: Inheritance tax changes in the budget have brought some relief, but not enough Breaking down further costings, the group looked at the cost of giving the same status to aunt, uncle and sibling relationships that currently apply to parental relationships – i.e. equalising Group A and B at a tax-free threshold of €400,000. This would cost the State €305 million based on the most up-to-date Revenue data. 'The likelihood is that in reality the costs of collating Groups A and B would be lower, but in the absence of appropriate data it is not possible to demonstrate this at this time,' it adds. Boosting €3,000 tax-free gift to your child per year The tax papers also looks at the gift threshold that parents are allowed give to their children on a yearly basis. Currently, a parent may give a gift up to the value of €3,000 to a child or anyone else each calendar year without any CAT arising. Two parents can make gifts of €3,000 each to a child, resulting in a gift to the value of €6,000 in any year free of CAT. There is no limit on the number of small gifts a person can receive in a year from different donors. The small gift exemption applies only to gifts and not to inheritances, but if government were to increase the small gift exemption, for example, in the case of giving their child help towards a deposit to buy a house by €1,000 (to €4,000) such a move would cost €0.7 million, states the paper. The cost of increasing it to €5,000 per parent is estimated to be €1.4 million, based on the number of CAT returns filed for 2023. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
More than 400 households in Wicklow reimbursed for housing Ukrainian refugees
The ARP is a tax-free monthly financial contribution of €600 available to households who provide accommodation to a person or people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. Figures released to Sinn Féin's spokesperson on migration, Matt Carthy TD, reveal that the number of properties nationwide in receipt of ARP rose from 4,245 in January 2023 to 21,803 by mid-July of this year, a rise of over 17,500. In Wicklow, the number has jumped from 154 to 463 over the same period. Deputy John Brady has raised concern at what he calls 'a significant and worrying increase in the number of private properties being brought into the ARP scheme. 'In Wicklow alone, we have seen ARP properties triple in the space of just 18 months. This is happening while thousands of families in the county are being priced out of the private rental market. This is particularly concerning when only 58 properties are currently available to rent in the county'. The Wicklow TD said that the government had failed to acknowledge the impact of the scheme on rental supply. 'We are in the middle of a housing emergency', he said. 'Instead of protecting tenants or investing in long-term housing solutions, the government has created a system where landlords can cash in on the ARP, avoid the rules of the private rental sector, and bypass tenant many protections'. The figures show that 21,803 properties are being paid under the scheme, provided by just 16,900 owners. Deputy Brady claimed landlords are taking advantage of a state-funded scheme with 'little oversight or long-term benefit to the housing system'. 'This is a direct consequence of the government's failure to plan and their refusal to engage in proper housing reform. Wicklow families are being left behind while landlords are benefitting' he added. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
