Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, for coming in here today. I am very grateful because I know he has a hectic schedule as a constituency Deputy and as a Minister of State. I do not have anything against him but I am not too happy that the line Minister is not here to answer my Topical Issue. For three consecutive weeks I have tabled this Topical Issue and I only got an email as I sat in my seat here to inform me that the line Minister is not available. I would have pulled my Topical Issue if I had known that earlier this morning. Notwithstanding that, I appreciate the Minister of State being here and I hope that we can cobble out a good outcome to all of this.

Last June, the Cabinet announced that sites run by Shannon Heritage in the mid-west would be transferred to local authorities, including Clare County Council. This announcement was warmly received and many in Clare felt immense hope that it would breathe new life into iconic tourism and heritage sites, such as Bunratty Castle, Knappogue Castle and Craggaunowen Bronze Age park. Following the Cabinet's decision, Clare County Council was instructed by the Government to commence discussions with Shannon Group on progressing this transfer. All parties, especially the Shannon Heritage workers who have hung onto their jobs by a thread throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, hoped that this process would wrap up in advance of the 2022 tourism season. Frustratingly, it has not.

The transfer of the sites is somewhat convoluted. At national level it requires a transfer of responsibilities from the Department of Transport to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I believe the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will also have a major function in this process, as will the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Clare County Council management has met several Ministers and has undertaken due diligence, which has been very extensive. This has encompassed the realms of operational, financial and business performance, technical due diligence to include property and asset surveys and also human resources.

The due diligence process exposed a number of problems, with one of the key ones being the poor structural state of many of the iconic buildings in Bunratty and Craggaunowen. The roof of Bunratty's 15th century castle is in a poor and dangerous state of repair, the thatched and cottage roofs are falling away and the once beautiful walled garden at Knappogue has been utterly neglected. Clare County Council is seeking a national funding commitment of €5 million per annum over three years. This funding request relates to operational costs, initial set-up and conservation and maintenance works. From the perspective of Clare County Council, the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites cannot be a financial burden on the county council's budgeting process and the provision of statutory provisions or impact negatively on Clare's ratepayers. As a result and in order to move forward, a nationally-funded financial package is required.

The current state of play, as I understand it, is that Clare County Council has met Department of Transport officials and is also engaging with the other associated Departments. An interdepartmental working group has been set up to consider the funding request. Representatives from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media along with the Office of Public Works, OPW, have been invited to participate in this group, but no clear timeframe has been set regarding when it will conclude its work and report back to the Government.

I reiterate that everybody in the region wanted this to happen this summer. Clare County Council and Shannon Group must agree on a schedule and a transfer date to remove all ambiguity, particularly for the 140 workers whose morale has been very low given that this situation has dragged out and become quite a saga. I hope the Minister of State can give a glimmer of hope today that this will conclude, the funding will be provided and this can be a success.

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