Regeneration Projects
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-05
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important matter and indeed for her leadership and advocacy on the redevelopment of the GPO in a way that will make sure it will play as strong a role in the next 100 to 200 years of this State as it has in our State's history up to this point.
The Government established the task force in May 2024 to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre, including O'Connell Street. The Dublin city task force took an evidence-informed approach in its work and published a report in October 2024, making recommendations, or Ten Big Moves, to improve the city centre's public realm, safety and experience. One measure identified in the Dublin city task force report was the redevelopment of the General Post Office. With the publication of the Dublin city task force report, an interdepartmental group was established and mandated by Government to prepare a high-level Dublin city centre implementation plan setting out how recommendations are to be taken forward, including arrangements for tracking progress, oversight and governance arrangements, and to assess the multi-annual cost and policy implications of the recommendations at local and national level to inform future departmental prioritisation within the overall budgetary process and parameters, the national development plan allocation and overall Government policy. Arising from its deliberations the interdepartmental group developed a road map for delivery of the Dublin city task force recommendations which includes the redevelopment of the GPO.
The GPO complex comprises more than 25,000 sq. m of accommodation and remains in use by An Post under licence from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, both as a public post office and for back-of-house operations. An Post back-of-house operations have largely decanted from the GPO complex to alternative office accommodation, but several hundred An Post workers remain operating from the GPO complex. In addition to the office and public post office, there are a number of retail premises in the existing GPO Arcade and on Henry Street.
The Office of Public Works is engaged with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport regarding the future transfer of ownership of the GPO complex. The OPW is leading on the redevelopment of the GPO complex as outlined in the Department of the Taoiseach's interdepartmental group report and road map for delivery and previous Government commitments. It is anticipated that the future GPO complex will incorporate at least some or all of the following: the retention of a public post office function; high-quality offices on the upper floors to provide critical accommodation to meet ongoing or additional Government requirements; significant cultural use or uses; retail components within the existing retail footprint; significant public realm enhancements at street level to encourage public use of the GPO complex.
A GPO steering group is in place since November 2024. This steering group is chaired by the Office of Public Works. Its membership includes representation from my own Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, Dublin City Council and others. There are several GPO steering group work streams operational at present.
These include progressing property-related matters, the development of a non-statutory public consultation engagement process and the development of potential temporary meanwhile uses while the permanent redevelopment plans are being progressed.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:44+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-05