Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will answer this question on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, this morning as he is attending a funeral.

The works plan for 2022 is to complete grouting the external walls on the south and east of Barryscourt Castle. It is envisaged there will still be masonry repairs to the towers and wall walks at a high level, but it is thought these works will not interfere with progressing necessary internal works. The next phase of works includes the design of new mechanical and electrical systems. This phase has commenced but will need to be tendered and executed.

The Office of Public Works is very conscious that Barryscourt Castle has been unavailable to visitors and the local community for the past number of years. The Minister of State has asked his officials in the national monuments division to work on a reopening plan for the site. I hope progress will be made on this matter over the coming months. However, sadly, it is not possible to give a definitive date for reopening at this stage due to the complexity of the ongoing conservation works.

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