Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's answer. I will try to flesh out a little more detail. The Kells round tower is one of the most important monuments in the country. People in Kells have felt historically, and justifiably, that Newgrange, which is a world heritage site, has got most of the attention but there is considerable potential to have our heritage on show from the side of the street or from the grounds of a church-owned monastery and that the public would be able to have access to it.

When would the Minister of State expect design solutions to be put in place and when would he expect those then to go to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and for there to be public access? Is there a plan to fund public access as well? Obviously, one can have the design solution, which is welcome and important and must happen, but then one needs the ongoing expenditure and money it will cost to allow the public in to see this monument.

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