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Abraham Phelan, the owner of the Silk Road Café, told The Journal last week he has to let all his staff go as a result of the closure. Mairead Maguire/The Journal
Silk Road Café
Taoiseach 'not clear' on why café at Dublin Castle must close for EU presidency
The Silk Road Café was looking forward to celebrating 25 years in business in July before it was told it must close for six months.
TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN said he’s “not clear” on why the Silk Road Café located in the Chester Beatty Library at Dublin Castle has to close for the EU presidency.
Last week, The Journal first reported that the café was told it must shut for six months for security reasons. Owner Abraham Phelan said a six-month closure would spell the end of his business, which has been trading at the premises since 2001.
Phelan was also unhappy with the lack of engagement received on the closure. He had heard rumours that the entire castle would shut down months before he was officially told his business would have to close.
The Taoiseach was questioned in the Dáil this afternoon by Labour leader Ivana Bacik on the closure.
Bacik said she has submitted a parliamentary question to Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, minister of state with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), which has responsibility and oversight for Dublin Castle, querying the “drastic closure”.
The OPW has said it does not have operational oversight of the Chester Beatty Library, of which the Silk Road Café is a tenant. The Chester Beatty declined to comment on the matter.
The Journal asked Martin about the closure last week, to which he said he was not aware of the case and would “pursue the issue”.
Today, Martin said he is “making inquiries” on the closure and “organising a series of meetings”.
“I’m not clear as to why the café has to close for six months, so I’m going to pursue that with security and so on. I will do that.”
At the weekend, Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan wrote to Minister of State with responsibility of European Affairs Thomas Byrne highlighting her “profound concern” at the closure of the café.
Boylan said it was reasonable to expect accommodations to be put in place to support businesses that will be affected by the EU presidency events.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Journal that although the department has no operational oversight of the Chester Beatty and the Silk Road Café, “officials have been asked to look into the matter”.
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