Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The scoping study is very interesting and shows a broad range of options. It envisages a building of 6,000 sq. m, half of which would be visitor space, and visitor numbers of 300,000 per year. It estimates that the cost of delivering the facility could be between €20 million and €30 million for a new building, €13 million to €25 million for an existing building or €5 million to €15 million for an existing institution. Needless to say, that is not the kind of capital I have available in my budget; therefore, we will be asking interested parties to state how they would raise most, if not all, of this money. In terms of location, the scoping study advises that the centre should be near a large population centre, have a high concentration of tourists and good transport connections. It should also ideally but not necessarily be near the sea, given our history of emigration. There should be supporting attractions nearby such as cafés, bars, shops and other facilities.

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