Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Chairman. I wish the members well. I am looking forward to working with them over what I hope will be the next five years.

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss with the select committee the 2016 Estimates and to outline this year’s priorities for a number of areas under my Department’s Vote. For the benefit of the committee members, I would like to set out my responsibilities in the Department. They include national rural development schemes, including rural recreation, the rural walks scheme, the rural development fund and the CLÁR programme. Also under my remit are the national parks and nature reserves, the development of the Atlantic economic corridor, reinforcing the role of the Western Development Commission, dormant accounts measures, tidy towns, social enterprise and the development of the rural post office network. I will assist the Minister in the rolling out of rural broadband in Connacht.

With regard to the heritage programme, more than €1 million in capital funding will be made available to invest in and develop visitor facilities in the national parks and nature reserves for 2016. My intention as Minister of State is to conserve the parks and reserves, to increase awareness of the benefits of those important natural assets and to show they can help to create and sustain jobs in addition to contributing to economic and regional development. I will be working with Fáilte Ireland and the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council to determine how the trails network in our parks and reserves, particularly along the west coast, can help to develop the tourist experience along the Wild Atlantic Way. I am convinced that the development of walking and hiking infrastructure and the enhancement of the visitor facilities at our natural heritage properties can provide opportunities for job creation and economic growth, particularly in rural areas.

The refurbishment of Killarney House and Gardens in Killarney National Park, costing a total of €8 million, is co-funded by Fáilte Ireland, which contributed €5.2 million. I was glad to be Minister of State when the latter sum was allocated for the project. Works on the gardens are nearly completed and it is expected that they will be fully open to the public within a few weeks. The exhibition element in the house itself will be completed later this year and it is envisaged that it will open to the public in early 2017. After it opens, the additional tourism created by the project will greatly benefit the local and regional economy and promote job creation. The Minister and I will answer any questions members wish to ask.