Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated at 4pm
A MURAL READING ‘Repeal the 8th’ has been removed from the front wall of the Project Arts Centre in Dublin this afternoon.
The artwork, by street artist Maser, was commissioned by The Hunreal Issues, a new website set up to promote women’s issues.
It has proven controversial since its unveiling almost three weeks ago – attracting some 50 complaints. The centre has also received more than 200 messages of support, and a spokesperson said this morning that there had been an increase in the number of support messages regarding the display in recent days.
According to a statement from the Project Arts Centre:
We have taken the decision to remove the mural artwork by celebrated street artist, Maser, painted on the front of our building, after receiving a warning notice from Dublin City Council Planning Department that the work is in violation of the Planning & Development Acts (2000-2015).
Project Arts Centre Artistic Director Cian O’Brien said in the statement that the centre had had “an astonishing response” to the artwork.
“I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the conversation around this important topic,” O’Brien said.
I in no way wish to censor or silence an artist; I respect the legal position that the DCC Planning Office is in and the parameters within which they are working.
He said it was the first time the centre had been presented with a planning notice for a painted artwork on the front of its building on East Essex Street in Temple Bar.
He added:
Project Arts Centre is complying with the planning notice and has removed this artwork. We look forward to working through official channels with Maser and The HunReal Issues to explore the possibility of re-installing this work as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said that class 12 of schedule two in part one of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 “exempts the painting of the external part of any building or other structure from requiring planning permission”.
The exemption does not necessarily apply to any structure included on the council’s record of protected structures.
However, the painting may not be for the purposes of creating a mural and the legislation applies to buildings in private ownership.
They added that: “Murals and other artistic designs require planning permission when applied to the external part of any structure.”
An online petition set up by The HunReal Issues on www.change.org to support the mural has been signed by over 3,000 people.
Opposition
Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said in a statement that the right decision had been taken, and described the mural as “highly political”.
It had, she said, “everything to do with campaigning and nothing to do with art”.
“The claims by some that its removal represents censorship are laughable,” Sherlock said.
“The Project Arts Centre should belong to everyone and not have such a close-minded attitude on what constitutes freedom of expression.
“In its current make up, there is not the slightest chance that it would have allowed, for example, a mural being placed on its building giving voice to women’s feelings of abortion regret.
It is issues like this that deserve proper attention given the absurd and unacceptable way the Project Arts Centre has behaved in recent weeks.
The mural was removed before lunchtime today. However, since then, a display reading ‘Repeal 8th’ has appeared in a window in a building right across from its former site.
8th Amendment
The 8th Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1983 was effected after a referendum that year which asked Irish people to vote on the State’s abortion laws.
It acknowledges the right to life of the unborn, equating it with the mother’s right to life.
The Cabinet last month approved plans for a Citizens’ Assembly to address abortion and other issues, with the 100 member group due to hold its first meeting in November.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Not very “Labour” to vote against workers rights I would have thought.
Exactly. They should be made rename the party. Pity there aren’t more TD’s like McNamara!
Fair play to him for sticking to his principles and trying to bring us in line with international law and best practice. Shame the government didn’t support him.
But he can’t do that and the government can’t have a vote on that because I think it was the E.C.J. has ruled that it is illegal not to let the Gardaí the right to strike. So the E.U. has told this government they are breaking the E.U. law not to allow them to strike.
This is done for show for this useless government, the squeak of the worm not the turn as the E.U. will never allow that… lol.
If the guards did go on strike, how could we tell ?
The sale of doughnuts would collapse , that would be a likely indicator .
There wont be 15 standing over your water meter when you get home.
I’m nearly sure this is the first time a government has voted against a ruling that came from the European social charter. It just goes to show the lack of respect they have for army and gardai . At the very least they could begin to allow such groups to negotiate on pay and conditions themselves. Leave the strike issue for another time when more thought is put into it. It’s now the situation where gardai and army personnel are 2nd class citizens in all but name and these are the very people we need when we are at our most vulnerable. Incredible really.
I think that SF/IRA would be in favour of all of the defence forces going on strike.
There is no SF/IRA and never was
#labour cant afford to lose any more politicians as they face wipeout in next election. Seems strange even being allowed to bring in a bill that your own party is going to vote against. anyway glad it failed for once. have no respect for the cops in this country, and now they are looking for tasers. God help us all.
Fair Play to him but I can’t help thinking that a lot of people will be unruly in FG and Labour coming up to election time to give appearance of going against status quo etc.
They shouldn’t be allowed to strike as should transport operators especially CIE members
Why not strike how the nurses do then?
The E.U. has said it is illegal for this government to prevent them from striking and the government knows this, the rest is just spin for the news media but why is the government doing this, electioneering or what?
Trying to get a fine off the European Union I’d say.. They are only delaying the inevitable
Trying to get fines off the European Union
Ireland are not the only nation
And Oranges are not the only fruit.
The Gardai and the armed forces are not regular citizens. They should by all means be paid what is fair given their responsibilities but they should never be allowed to undermine the authority of the state. The armed forces in particular are an army that are servants of the sovereign state and should be heavily penalised for even suggesting a strike.
If you want special rules about their employment shouldn’t there be special rules about their treatment.. I.e mandatory sentence for attack on garda/emergency services?
Lots of deli food would be left over cos no lads would be up to the garages at closing looking for the free scraps!
Dave the Army cannot go on strike, that’s called a mutiny and can lead to imprisonment and loss of employment. They cover whoever else goes on strike ie fire service, prison service, bin men etc. It’s a seven day week too and for a 24hr duty they get €48 before tax.
48 euro before tax is criminal. Are you aware of any other armed forces around the world that can take industrial action Sean?
What a joke, he brings in a bill and his own party don’t support it. If memory serves me correctly didn’t Peter Mathews bring forward a bill and then vote against it because the party told him to do so ? That is not democracy !!
Niamh I’m almost sure this is all armies but here the army is not allowed into meeting about pay or conditions and are not represented unlike the Guards, nurses, firemen & prison officers. They all have unions or a representative body to fight their corner. The EU has said it is against EU law to not allow the military into pay meetings, yet this government just went against this finding.
Sean gardai are not allowed in to those meetings either. They have to employ a trade union to go in and do there bidding for them. Like the lads in the army they are treated like 2nd class citizens. Disgraceful
have your say