Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I understand that the Minister is involved in policy rather than the minutiae of developing tourist attractions. Since Shannon Heritage looks after so many historical sites, it involves the Ministry with responsibility for tourism.

It also involves the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and perhaps the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. The Minister might want to consider involving other Departments as part of a co-ordinated approach to how these historical sites are looked after by Shannon Heritage.

As the Minister has rightly said, Shannon Heritage is a commercial semi-State body, which means there are constraints on how it can access funding. The Rock of Cashel, which is a very popular visitor attraction, can attract funding from other streams, but commercial semi-State bodies are precluded from doing likewise. It is important to recognise that there may be a cross-departmental aspect to this matter. Shannon Heritage wants to concentrate on attracting visitors to the west and bringing them through Shannon Airport. A co-ordinated effort should be made to support the endeavours of Shannon Heritage, which wants to improve the quality of the product it presents to those who visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. I am not sure whether the Minister has ever visited this fantastic visitor experience, which needs to be upgraded. A co-ordinated approach needs to be taken across various Departments. Consideration needs to be given to how Shannon Heritage can access funding in order to cross-promote the other elements in its portfolio and deliver increased traffic through Shannon Airport.

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