Mr. Ian Doyle:

We are big supporters of the famine museum and Strokestown House, . We have a grant-giving relationship with them and have given a number of grants over recent years. We also have good discussions and good relations with the Irish Heritage Trust, which manages that property, and we are delighted to fund the plan Ms Ní Chuinn mentioned to bring some properties in Strokestown village back into use. One of the key things highlighted in the town centre first plan, and indeed something we see, is the need to build that stronger link between the museum and the town and to make sure the benefits are evenly spread. Heritage has to provide a dividend for the wider rural economy. The Senator also mentioned Rathcroghan. The world heritage site bid mentioned earlier will be a game changer if it gets across the line and it will be an example of heritage showing how it can contribute to rural development. I note that a new post has just been advertised by Tipperary County Council, which is the co-ordinating body for the bid, to help get that world heritage bid for those royal sites across the line. I also note that the heritage officer, Nollaig Feeney, in Roscommon County Council is heavily involved in that.

In terms of Rathcroghan, over a number of years in the early 2000s the Heritage Council funded an amazing series of geophysical surveys on the archeology of the mounds in Rathcroghan. While that might sound esoteric and rather specialised, we see that as the research and development that helps the significance or the outstanding universal value, which is the key term for UNESCO, to be articulated for Rathcroghan and to show it is truly of world heritage significance. We see heritage as having made that contribution and being able to make a huge potential contribution to that rural development. We have provided funding for the European innovation partnership in Rathcroghan, which I am sure the members are familiar with, in terms of the farmers. It is a locally-led scheme. We have a tender out at the moment to look at community-led landscape management. That might be one of the areas we pick because what has been done there in terms of the local community, in terms of managing the monuments and the grassland, as well as the fact it was so community driven, is a really important example that possibly is of European importance as to how really important, complex archaeological monuments can be managed through a partnership between, the locals, the local authority, the Department of agriculture and State agencies. We are hopeful that will come out as well.