Mr. Éanna Rowe:

I thank the Deputy. With regard to the public toilets, the Deputy is right. We should have them open within the next two to three weeks at Victoria Lock and the old lockhouse, which is a beautiful structure. Very sensitive works are ongoing inside the structure, a protected structure, to ensure not only that we protect the structure but also that we provide the facilities and services required.

We are a victim of our own success. We never thought we would have the numbers now using the walkway at Meelick. I will certainly take this up with the regional manager, perhaps with regard to providing some additional facilities at the small marina, such as barbecue facilities, picnic benches and signage, which the Deputy has mentioned.

With regard to Martello towers, the committee might be surprised to hear that Waterways Ireland owns two on the Shannon. Such towers were built by the British right along the coastline to keep the French from invading Ireland. One might ask why towers were built on the Shannon. I suppose the thinking was that the French could have Connacht but would be stopped at the Shannon. All joking aside, we own the Martello tower at Meelick and have ambitious plans for it. In the first instance, we would like to open up a pathway so people can explore it. It is a hidden gem. In the longer term, we hope it can be opened up as some kind of visitor attraction. We have the designs for the walkways almost complete and the environmental assessments. We are in the special area of conservation, SAC, so the bar is higher, and rightly so. We hope to advance these over the next year. We will certainly sit down with the committee members and Charlie Killeen and take him through the proposals. I thank the Deputy.