Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that and I am trying to be helpful in saying what we are doing. The Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Canney, and I have realised this and we come from similar parts of the country. The OPW is the largest landowner in Ireland and the custodian of some of our national monuments that open on a seasonal basis rather than all through the year. These are located are in the towns to which the Deputy referred, such as Boyle, Frenchpark, Newcastle West, Gort, Ballinasloe, Tuam and elsewhere. We want to broaden the base so that when somebody drives into Newcastle West or Boyle to find the national monument in the custody of the Office of Public Works is locked because it does not have the money to keep it open, there will be an opportunity for the local community to play a greater role. The OPW, with Fáilte Ireland, is looking at examples where, on a pilot basis, we could extend the period in which facilities are open. When I was on this committee with the Chairman, we raised the issue continuously. In fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, has drawn the OPW into that as he comes from a part of the country that is similar to ours, with people travelling through east Galway in their tens of thousands to get to Galway, Clifden and Connemara. He - no more than Senator Feighan and Deputies Troy, Fitzpatrick and Barry, along with me - wants to ensure that rather than having them drive through to traditional places, these people stop in our areas. It is another initiative at which we are looking. I am sure the Minister of State and his successor will have no problem coming before the committee to update it on such matters. I do not have a problem doing so either.