Ms Clare McGrath:

There was an initiative introduced by the Minister known as Free Wednesdays. This has possibly had an impact on visitor numbers. There is an increase in local tourism with people within the jurisdiction attending heritage sites. Much of the counting is done on sites where we have guide services. We have much more sites where there is no service, so the numbers are probably higher. I am glad to acknowledge the work of the organisation in managing the sites. We would wish to do more in the promoting of sites.

The busiest sites are Kilmainham Gaol, Newgrange-Brú na Bóinne, Dublin Castle, the Phoenix Park and Kilkenny Castle.