Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was not perhaps great at mathematics but I do not know how the figures the Minister is giving to us could be correct. I suspect that if Russborough House were located in Limerick, we would not be having the particular difficulty we have in this instance. It seems that the Government is quite prepared to allow the Beit Foundation to have to cannibalise itself, in effect, to sustain the house into the future. Will the Minister advise what number of visitors would be required at Russborough House for the foundation to be self-sustaining and to be able to finance itself into the future? I note that something in excess of 1 million people have visited Russborough House since 1978. That does not seem to be an inordinately high number of visitors. The location of Russborough House in the garden of Ireland is quite phenomenal and one would assume that if properly packaged and more effectively marketed by being given the resources by the State, and I am not blaming the foundation for the difficulty, this venue could be far more attractive. It might not be Downton Abbey but it certainly has enormous potential to attract tourists to the area.

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