Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and appreciate her reply. There is a domino effect to the cancellation of many of these events. Some of these events have tie-ins with local charities and community groups. For example, Ennistymon Community Hospital, Conradh na Gaeilge, West Clare Mental Health Association and Clare GAA are beneficiaries. A trickle-on funding stream is lost as a result of these festivals being cancelled. It has put the county on a downer because these were the stand-out festivals of the spring and summer months that brought people west of the Shannon into County Clare. Clare is famous for its traditional music. I am glad to hear that the Department is committed to working with these groups. They will carry a debt across this autumn and winter and we need to make it possible for these events to run successfully in 2021.

I wish to ask whether the Minister has any plans for Shannon Heritage sites because they are intrinsic to tourism in County Clare. As the Minister knows, those sites will close at the end of August. Those sites employ 350 people, 145 of them full-time. They are iconic and key sites in the region. People visit Clare to see those sites and it makes no commercial sense to close them. We are now being told by management that €4 million has been requested from the Government to keep the sites open and I hope the Minister can offer some clarity on that matter.

See this speech in context