TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN said the closure of the Silk Road Café in the Chester Beatty at Dublin Castle is a matter “more complex than has been said” and was not the result of the EU presidency.
The Taoiseach’s comments come as the café, which has been in business at the premises for almost 25 years, secured an injunction in court against its landlord the Chester Beatty Library preventing its closure for the six months of the EU presidency.
However, the grounds of Dublin Castle are closed to the public as work is underway for the presidency, meaning the business cannot operate.
The EU presidency will be hosted by Ireland from 1 July.
On Wednesday, the café’s owner Abraham Phelan and some of his staff reentered the premises to begin to clear out food left in fridges and pack up equipment. The business cannot operate as prospective customers can’t enter the grounds of Dublin Castle.
The case returns to court on Friday, with the Chester Beatty commenting that it would be “defending it vigorously”.
The matter was raised with the Taoiseach and relevant ministers on several occasions. Earlier today, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the government is “happy to continue to engage with the café”, adding that “nobody wants to see any business discommoded.”
Speaking to The Journal in Brussels, Martin said he had gone back to his officials to look into the matter.
“First of all, my understanding is it’s [the closure] not because of the European presidency,” he said. “It’s more complex than has been said. I believe there’s more issues.”
Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes said on Wednesday afternoon that he asked the Taoiseach to meet with Phelan and the café’s manager Rikke Sorensen, who were in the public gallery of the Dáil this afternoon.
He said Micheál Martin declined his invitation, “though he stated that he believes no business should have been put at a loss as a result of the EU Presidency”.
Hayes further said that there has been no explanation given by the government for the need to shut down the entirety of Dublin Castle, including the Chester Beatty, for the duration of the presidency.
It had been attributed to security reasons, despite the café remaining in business throughout the last EU presidency in 2013.