OPW claims it took all necessary precautions in setting up live crib at centre of controversy

Children at the official opening of the live crib at The Summer House in St Stephen’s Green, Dublin, last December. The crib became a political flashpoint before Christmas when Dublin's Lord Mayor and Green Party councillor Caroline Conroy announced that she was cancelling the live crib outside the Mansion House.  File photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

The Office of Public Works (OPW) says that it took all necessary precautions when putting a live crib in St Stephen's Green, despite no records of it making contact with Dublin City Council's conservation office.

The crib became a political flashpoint before Christmas when Dublin's Lord Mayor and Green Party councillor Caroline Conroy announced that she was cancelling the live crib outside the Mansion House. 

The announcement sparked outrage, with the crib becoming a beloved institution for many families since it was first installed in 1995.

However, Sinn Féin senator Lynn Boylan raised questions about how the OPW went about erecting the crib in the Summer House in St Stephen's Green, which is a protected structure. The OPW confirmed to The Irish Examiner that a Section 57 planning application "did not arise in this instance". 

Section 57 of the Planning Act 2000 allows for the owner or occupier of a protected structure to apply to the planning authority for a declaration as to the type of works which it considers would or would not materially affect the character of the structure or any element of the structure.

The OPW added that the "temporary installation for this event consisted of freestanding frames within the structure and no permanent fixings to the structure". 

Asked whether there had been confirmation from a conservation officer that this approach would not damage the structure, the OPW did not respond, but a Freedom of Information request from Ms Boylan shows that no confirmation was sought.

Ms Boylan had asked for records of contacts between the OPW and Dublin City Council, but was told there was none. The OPW told this paper that its event management unit had taken on the design and management of the crib, which was attended to daily.

"The OPW event management unit designed and managed the crib structure in such a way as to not incur additional risk to the Summer House beyond its existing daily access and use in the park. The project was undertaken using the following approach.

"All contractors engaged had to provide the necessary risk assessments and method statements to accompany their work for analysis and approval. The key element of the design brief was to ensure that the internal temporary structure would be free-standing and not interfere with the existing structure. There was also a temporary rubber floor covering installed for the duration.

"The installation and removal of the crib was supervised by OPW event management unit, and was also attended daily from an operational point of view."

However, Ms Boylan says that this response raises questions about OPW record keeping.

"It's the principle here. It doesn't seem like the OPW ever thought to ask. It seems like there was a rush to get one over on the Green Party that meant that due diligence wasn't done."

Tradition

Speaking about the move at the time, OPW Minister Patrick O'Donovan said the tradition had been "thrown under a bus".

“I know that in some quarters at the moment it’s easy to throw traditions under the bus, but the crib is a very important part of the traditional Christmas and in that crib scene there were animals, the animals that will be brought here by the Sherlock family will be well looked after.

“This is about me standing up for my way of life, the people I represent, rural Ireland, farmers as well as the children of Dublin who want to see a live crib and when the IFA reached out to us, the vast majority of people value tradition and value the Christmas message and they value the crib."

Mr O'Donovan told RTÉ's Claire Byrne programme that he felt the need to say "hold on a second" after it was announced that the live crib was being axed as "the next thing that will be ditched in this country will probably be the word Christmas".