Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are looking forward to reopening the centre on the mainland. Deputy Griffin is right. We also want to be able to reach out to the diaspora from the island who emigrated to North America, in particular to Springfield in Connecticut where many people from the island settled. We want to allow people to see where their people came from and from where they were evacuated to the mainland because of safety concerns of the Government at the time. Many of them emigrated to the United States and beyond. If we want them to be able to go back to find their roots, we have to be able to disembark them safely. This is a process on which we will engage with Kerry County Council. It will take time and we will walk through it with the local community and stakeholders. We will do it sensitive to the fact this is a special place not only to the people of Kerry but the people of Ireland.

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