Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In discussing this Bill, I want to talk about our built heritage. I approached the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, a short time ago to raise an issue I have written to him about before, namely, Knocklofty House Hotel, the wonderful, majestic and historic building on the pleasant banks of the River Suir in County Tipperary. The Ceann Comhairle may be surprised, given that a bust of Queen Victoria and a statue of William of Orange are to be found there, that I want to keep the building safe. I do so for the very particular reason that it is part of our built heritage. It has 365 windows looking out to sea. There is an amount of history in it, about Labhraidh Loingseach and the fiddle that would only play and bhí dhá chluas capaill ar Labhraidh Loingseach. I will tell the Minister of State the story when he goes there. He would be most welcome. When he goes to Waterford, he can go trasna na habhann to Tipperary.

Knocklofty House was home to Lord and Lady Donoughmore, their family and, indeed, the Guinness family. I remember knocking on the door one day as a young man selling grass seeds. I was greeted by the lovely Lord Donoughmore, in fairness to him, and his two Alsatian dogs. I thought I was going to be eaten alive but, no, I got a lovely welcome. I have a story about the house from back in the troubled time. It was not a case of "dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi". I got it directly from my father, who was an active service member in the old IRA, and proud of it, in the third Tipperary brigade. He was in the Newcastle battalion, the greatest of battalions. In the business I was in back in the 1980s, I was involved in clearing some of the orchard attached to Knocklofty House. Those freedom fighters dwelled and practised in that orchard. They later got refuge in some of Knocklofty's outhouses and other buildings during the troubled time when they were on the run. They were looked after there pleasantly.

Lord Donoughmore went over to the House of Lords and condemned the actions of the Black and Tans in Ireland and what was going on here. His house was spared. It was never burned, like many houses in Tipperary were burned to the ground. We must keep that memory and the heritage of the building, including the statues of Queen Victoria and William of Orange, even though one gets a one-sided story about King Billy when one goes to Belfast City Hall. It is our heritage and we must look after it. The building has been raped and plundered and the lead taken out of the roofs. I thank Jonathan Flood, senior planner, and Tony O'Mara, technician, in Tipperary County Council, who have come out to look at the building at the request of me, Councillor Máirín McGrath and others. A Facebook page has been set up to save Knocklofty House.

It is a wonderful part of our built heritage, as I have said. When I was young, there were 50 or 60 people working there with a big bell, like a church bell, in the yard to call people to their meals. So many families were looked after and fed there, and many who went on to do great things had parents who worked there. I remember one, Mr. P.J. Cullen, who worked there as a gardener when the gardens were spectacular. The house has gone to rack and ruin and we must do something to preserve it.

I know it is caught between vulture funds and the owner in the courts but it should not be allowed to fall into a state of disrepair. Weddings, fun fairs and county council meetings were all held there. LEADER programme launches were held there as well. It should not be the way it is now because it is part of our heritage. The Minister of State is welcome to come see it. I and many others want to have it restored. It is very important to learn from the history we have, especially in this decade of commemorations involving all traditions and none. Tá fáilte roimhe go léir go Tiobraid Árann theas agus Knocklofty House.

I welcome today's announcement that 60 new heritage officers or wildlife rangers will be appointed. That is very welcome because they have a difficult job. However, we need balance. I was appalled when Deputy Madigan, a predecessor of the Minister of State in the Department, threw out, like a bucket of water over a gate, two years of hard work done by committees, farmers and different groups who were trying to bring about sensible hedge cutting on roads and dangerous areas. It is not about going into fields when birds are nesting or where they normally nest. The safety of cyclists, motorists and pedestrians must come first at all costs as far as I am concerned.

I also have a concern about RTÉ. There should be fair distribution of funding. Television licence fees are paid by the majority of people. Tipp FM and Tipperary Mid West Radio must get a fair share, along with community radio stations and even smaller operations. They should be allowed some of this funding. It is time we dealt with the matter as the funding is not fairly distributed. TG4 must be supported and we must look at broadcasting, including podcasts, in a different way. It is not a monopoly any more. It is important that the heritage and history of people all around Ireland is heard, and not just in Montrose or Dublin 4. Ireland does not end at the Naas Road and RTÉ should be made aware of that.

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