A LAST MINUTE plea to prevent demolition of a 250 year old building in Dublin was made by Mr Joe Costello (Lab).

He accused Dublin Corporation of facilitating the redevelopment of No 16 Parnell Square by serving a demolition order, due to be executed today, despite its being a Grade 2 listed building. People in the corporation's dangerous buildings section took "perverse pleasure in seeing listed buildings demolished".

The demolition was being carried out by the owner, Mr John Byrne, "a notorious property speculator and developer and personal friend of the former Taoiseach, Mr Haughey". He had removed the root, allowing the building to be rendered dangerous.

Mrs Anne Walsh, a restaurateur on the ground floor, had employed a structural engineer who had found that the building was not structurally unsound.

The Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, agreed to convey to the Minister for the Environment the urgency of the situation.