Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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6. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to make funding streams available to King John's Castle in Limerick, following the recent handover of the castle to Limerick City and County Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56959/22]

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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As the Minister knows, just a few months ago, King John's Castle in Limerick was handed over by the Shannon Group to Limerick City and County Council. What funding streams might be available for the council as it seeks to develop King John's Castle as a tourist amenity?

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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My role and that of my departmental officials in tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy development and in securing resources to assist the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, in implementing that policy.

With regard to specific expenditure by Fáilte Ireland from its Exchequer funding allocations, such decisions are an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, as the national tourism development authority. Neither I, nor my Department, has any role in decisions by the authority regarding its operational funding priorities and related expenditure. On future funding, Fáilte Ireland is unable to commit to any funding at this time as there are currently no schemes open for application. Fáilte Ireland has, however, pledged its full support to the company that will be charged with steering the development of King John's Castle going forward. Indeed, a Fáilte Ireland representative will sit on the board of the newly-formed company.

The Limerick City and County Council takeover of King John's Castle has been a big step forward for the success of the castle and the implications for the wider tourism economy will be far-reaching. As the council only took ownership in April, I am advised that the focus for the summer season was to steady the ship operationally first. King John's Castle had a very successful summer that was full of events, including high-profile concerts, encouraging visitor feedback, and high-profile media coverage nationally and internationally. Fáilte Ireland continues to support King John's Castle through a number of enterprise supports, including, but not limited to, saleable experience and digital that delivers. This is against the backdrop of continued investment in Limerick by Fáilte Ireland, including funding, which will develop a thematic city quarter cluster approach to introduce visitors to each distinctive area of the city and link existing visitor attractions to supporting experiences.

From a wider perspective on tourism capital investment, I look forward to seeing the delivery of projects that will support a tourism sector that is sustainable from environmental, social, and economic perspectives. Fáilte Ireland's priority areas for tourism capital investment include the development and enhancement of tourist attractions and activity-based tourism to provide the type and quality of experience that visitors are seeking. Our overall tourism product offering has led to Ireland being recognised internationally as a year-round, high-quality tourism destination in both urban and rural settings.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister for her answer and acknowledge the important separation between her role as Minister and Fáilte Ireland. King John's Castle in Limerick is a truly iconic structure. The word "iconic" has been overused and abused down through the years but it absolutely applies to King John's Castle, which is at the heart of Limerick city. I know that Limerick people would welcome the Minister to King John's Castle at an appropriate time in the future. As she said, the impetus in the past few months has been to steady the ship in order to successfully manage the handover from Shannon Group to Limerick City and County Council. The evidence of the past few months indicates that has been very successful. I think the Minister and I would both wish Limerick City and County Council continued success. I look forward to further support. I also acknowledge her words that Fáilte Ireland is pledging full support to the council in its endeavours.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As I said, Fáilte Ireland will have a representative sitting on the board of the newly-formed company. It has pledged full support to the company that will be charged with the development and steering of it. As the Deputy agreed, the company has had quite a successful summer in steadying the ship, with those wonderful events and concerts and high-profile media coverage, which is good, not just for King John's Castle but the wider area. I am quite happy to visit King John's Castle and undertake other engagements in Limerick; I can chat to the Deputy about that. I will link in with my officials to see where that can be arranged in the diary. I look forward to it.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister. I ask her to consider a visit to King John's Castle and the wider Limerick and mid-west area. There are many amenities there. I know she has visited already. Her officials will obviously liaise with the council as to when the appropriate time might be to visit King John's Castle. We look forward to that.

On the broader issue of sustainable tourism she mentioned, Limerick and the mid-west has fantastic potential that she will be very keen to develop. One project that has been uppermost in my mind in the past number of months, which has been progressed by our colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is the rail line to Foynes. This will initially be used for rail freight but there is great potential, particularly with the Ryder Cup coming up in Adare in 2027, to open a new station there. I am not asking for any commitments but certainly that all Cabinet Members - I see the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, looking at me - and the Minister be aware of the potential for a train station in Adare, especially as we lead up to the Ryder Cup because we will have to move approximately 100,000 a day when that competition takes place.

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Deputy said, the tourism offering in Limerick is vast and within the development of our new national tourism policy, where some consultation is now happening with stakeholders, there will be public consultation in the new year. We are looking to put sustainability at the heart of tourism. That includes all-year-round tourism and driving it out in order that visitors do not just arrive at the capital city for a few days but explore the regions. That is significant. Our greenways, as we have in Limerick, and blueways or waterways, are key to that.

On Foynes, we have the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, which has received €1.5 million from the rural regeneration development fund. We should also consider everything that has been done regarding outdoor dining facilities and funding for the Limerick greenway. As I said, there is significant potential there. On Adare, the Ryder Cup 2027 will be massive for Limerick. I look forward to that and to engaging on it. Fáilte Ireland sees the massive potential in that, as does Tourism Ireland. It is being talked about worldwide at every event members of those bodies attend.