Why it's now 'groundhog day' at the still-closed Dead Zoo as the reasons - or excuses - for 'snail's pace' revamp of the much-loved Natural History Museum attract the unwanted attention of a VERY big player...

Published: 17:53, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 17:53, 23 July 2026 The Dáil spending watchdog is investigating the ‘debacle’ over the ongoing delays in reopening Ireland’s Natural History Museum, popularly known as the ‘Dead Zoo’. It comes as Public Accounts Committee member and Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly became the latest politician to criticise the ‘snail’s pace’ of the refurbishment of the iconic building, situated right beside the Dáil. Mr Farrelly confirmed he has ‘brought the museum project to the attention of the Public Accounts Committee’, adding that he is seeking ‘a detailed project programme’ for the refurbishment works. He told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘This is yet another debacle.  'A preliminary business case was granted approval in 2022 in order for the project to proceed.  'It is now mid-2026 and things appear to be moving at a snail’s pace with little to no detail on timelines and costings for delivery.’ The opposition TD also expressed frustration at the lack of verifiable progress since he first raised his concerns over the State’s inability to provide a start date for the museum works a full year ago. The saga of the Dead Zoo has been going on since 2010, when the museum was forced to close its upper galleries because they were deemed unsafe for visitors. Ten years later, the museum was temporarily shut again to facilitate the removal of whale skeletons suspended from the roof, and the packing and removal of 20,000-plus specimens. The museum briefly reopened in 2022, but only the ground floor was accessible to the public. In January 2023, then arts and culture minister Catherine Martin approved the commencement of the design phase for the refurbishment of the building. However, last year the Department of Arts and Culture told the MoS the works were still only at the ‘pre-tender project design, planning and procurement strategy phase’. Responding to follow up questions by Mr Farrelly in the Dáil last month, OPW Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran confirmed the works have not progressed beyond this phase. The Kildare North TD had sought answers on when the museum is now expected to reopen, and ‘the cost expended on the project to date’. Mr Farrelly also asked the minister to ‘clarify whether works are progressing on schedule’. The museum briefly reopened in 2022, but only the ground floor was accessible to the public.  In his response, Mr Moran noted that, since its construction in 1856, ‘the building has not been the subject of a substantial renovation and modernisation, and there are many structural, service and occupational deficiencies.’ In relation to works done to date, the minister said: ‘In 2022, approval was granted by the Department of Culture for the preliminary business case and for the project to proceed to the next phase.’ He noted there was initial progress in 2023, when approval was granted ‘to proceed to the design phase of the redevelopment project’.  However, it took another year before ‘a design team were procured by the OPW in April 2024’. The museum then ‘closed in September 2024 to enable a full decant of the collection before commencement of investigative works’. Mr Moran said this work ‘involved the Dead Zoo decanting to the former riding school at Collins Barracks and allowed collections from the temporarily closed Natural History Museum to remain accessible to the public.’ The minister said the redevelopment project ‘is now at Stage 2 of the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF)… which will focus on design development, planning permission and subsequent detailed design and development of a procurement strategy.’ Although four years have now passed since the project began, Mr Moran admitted: ‘At this stage of the project, it is not possible to provide a definitive project programme, as the final timeline remains dependent upon securing necessary approvals, statutory compliance processes, completing detailed design work, and the conclusion of the procurement process.’  Mr Moran confirmed the OPW spend to date on the project is just over €1.3million. In response to queries from the MoS, the OPW said the ‘redevelopment project has reached Stage 2 of the CWMF. ‘The department’s sectoral plan under the National Development Plan published in November 2025 projects the budget to fall between €50million and €100mllion but estimated costs and timelines continue to be refined.’ Mr Farrelly said: ‘There is a real element of groundhog day about this.  'I asked these questions a year ago and got almost the same answer word for word. ‘Visiting the Dead Zoo was almost a rite of passage for children during school holidays and here we are – another summer without full access to the full collection in its historic home.’ Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.