Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I again thank the committee for its positive engagement this afternoon. We appreciate the questions and how informed the committee is about our portfolio in heritage and electoral reform. I reiterate that we are very appreciative - knowing how busy this committee is - of it affording time to our work. We will continue to work with the committee over the next number of months and years. If there are any areas we have not touched on, we can certainly come back to the committee over time. Again, I thank my officials for the incredible work they do across our heritage division and the franchise section. They are incredibly dedicated to what they do. From built heritage to the National Parks and Wildlife Service to national monuments to the franchise section, they are just amazing people and we are deeply grateful to them for the work they do. I am very proud of the work of the Department and am very privileged as Minister of State to witness it at first hand through our work and travels around the country over recent months, be it visiting the corncrake project in Fota Wildlife Park, the restored castle in Fethard in County Wexford, the release of natterjack toads with young children in the wild dunes in Magharees, the restored pub fronts in Kilkenny or the ancient woodlands of Killarney National Park. All of these connect deeply with our work for nature, built and archaeological heritage and communities that treasure them. We certainly discovered that over the past 18 months or so. I hope that over the next number of months, members will join us on some of our projects if we are in their respective counties. We will certainly send out invites to all when we visit projects and highlight the positive impact of our work on the ground. I invite members to join us to visit some of those projects to see at first hand what we are doing in this incredible Department. I thank the Chairman and members for their time today. It is really appreciated.