Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the last point raised by Deputy Collins, I would like to record the appreciation of the people of the greater Athy area in south Kildare for the €2.7 million that was recently awarded under the rural regeneration fund, predominantly for the upgrade of Athy heritage centre. I am chairman of the Friends of Athy heritage centre museum. The €2.7 million is going to lead to the development of the Ernest Shackleton centre, safeguarding and promoting a key part of our heritage. We are very proud of the fact that Ernest Shackleton was born and raised just outside Athy in the village of Kilkea. The funding also brings potential from a tourism perspective and shows that where Departments come together and push towards producing projects, there are spin-offs for an area.

Could the Minister provide details on the creative youth project, how it is progressing and her plans for its development in 2019? If she has anything specific to my own county of Kildare I would be very interested to hear about it. Also key for us in Athy and south Kildare are our waterways. The plan was for the Barrow blueway to go from Lowtown and Robertstown all the way through south Kildare into Carlow. It ran into some planning difficulties in Carlow and is currently with An Bord Pleanála. I assure the Minister that the people of Kildare south are very ambitious about the project, which is with Waterways Ireland. I do not expect the Minister to have an answer today but she is aware of my interest in it. I have spoken to her about it previously and would be grateful for everything she and her Department can do to ensure the delivery of the Barrow blueway takes places as soon as possible. It will be another strand in developing our serious tourism potential and a recreational facility for the people of south Kildare and those who visit our area.

In respect of investment in built heritage in 2019, the Minister might talk through her plans, including any specific plans for south Kildare, if she has them.