Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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95. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to previous visits, the position regarding the improvement of facilities on An Blascaod Mór; if these improvements will be in place for the 2023 visitor season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10531/23]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Baineann an cheist seo leis an mBlascaod Mór. An féidir leis an Aire Stáit aon nuacht a thabhairt don Teach faoin scéal?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Tá caomhnú agus cosaint an Bhlascaoid Mhóir fós ríthábhachtach d’Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí. Tá feabhsaithe beartaithe ag an oifig don séasúr atá le teacht i mbliana agus cinnteoidh sé sin go bhfuil rochtain shábháilte ag cuairteoirí. Cuirfear tús arís le seirbhísí báid do chuairteoirí i mí Aibreán 2023, ag braith, dár ndóigh, ar an aimsir áitiúil. Tá Oifig na n-Oibreacha Poiblí ag obair i dtreo comhaontú a thabhairt chun críche le húinéir talún áitiúil chun áiseanna leithris a sholáthar do chuairteoirí agus tá an oifig ag tnúth na leithris seo a oscailt ar an oileán do chuairteoirí i rith séasúir an tsamhraidh. Tá ceist fhadtéarmach na n-áiseanna á cur chun cinn freisin.

Tá saibhreas bithéagsúlachta agus fiadhúlra ar an mBlascaod Mór agus tá staidéar bonnlíona bithéagsúlachta críochnaithe ag Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí le déanaí. Soláthróidh an staidéar sin sonraí luachmhara ar na gnáthóga agus na speicis atá ar an oileán. Cabhróidh sé le hOifig na nOibreacha Poiblí a chinntiú go ndéantar bithéagsúlacht an oileáin a chosaint amach anseo.

Most visitors to the An Blascaod Mór take great care not to cause any damage, as the Deputy will appreciate, to the biodiversity or the heritage buildings on the island. During the winter, the OPW has produced a leaflet, following a suggestion made by the Deputy previously, to explain to visitors how to protect the wildlife and heritage on the island. This leaflet will be provided to the boat operators to share with visitors as they disembark on the island. The boat operators will also provide visitors with up-to-date information on the island.

During the winter, the OPW also prepared a tender package for the new conservation management plan. This plan will guide the development and care of the island in future. This tender will issue in the coming weeks as access is required to the island. It is anticipated that a successful tenderer will be appointed by mid-2023 and the plan will consider the elements of conservation, heritage protection, archaeology, transport planning, marine biology and environmental ecology, among others, in relation to the island.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Maith thú. Tá na hábhair sin go léir an-tábhachtach. Tá mé buíoch den Aire Stáit. Tháinig sé chuig an oileán, thug sé aird ar na fadhbanna atá ann agus tá a dhícheall á dhéanamh aige iad a réiteach. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch as sin. I thank the Minister of State for that positive and comprehensive response on several fronts to the issues raised. Fair play to him. He came down to Dún Chaoin before, but last autumn he went out to the island as well. In fairness, the Minister State is familiar with that territory. He was there before in a previous phase in his life. It is necessary to go out there to fully appreciate the island and to understand the issues in play. The first of these is the lack of public conveniences on the island given there are so many visitors. This issue is a no-brainer and one that must be addressed. In fairness to the Minister of State, it is one he has directed his attention towards. Equally, Kerry County Council needs to come to the table in this regard. On the land side of the pier in Dún Chaoin, there are no such public conveniences. I will speak on the other issues in my next contribution.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Tuigimid in Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an oileán, ní hamháin d’oidhreacht agus do stair áitiúil iarthar Chiarraí ach de bharr an tsaibhris bithéagsúlachta atá ar an oileán freisin. Ar an ábhar sin, tá sé an-tábhachtach domsa, ní hamháin mar Aire Stáit le freagracht speisialta maidir le hOifig na nOibreacha Poiblí ach freisin mar Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta, dul chun cinn a dhéanamh sna rudaí atá leagtha amach ag an Teachta sa Dáil ar maidin.

We will work with Kerry County Council. The fact that I am now also the Minister of State with special responsibility for the Gaeltacht helps in this context as well. This is not only an important element in terms of heritage, biodiversity, literature and everything else in this context, but it is also a hugely important asset for the people of the Gaeltacht. My Department, the OPW, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Kerry County Council will form a high-level official group to work on the issues on the island, including disembarking. Regarding this aspect, I previously said in the House that it is not up to satisfaction, according to my standards certainly and for anybody who has mobility problems. Something needs to be done about this.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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This is very important. We are all only passing through. The island was there long before any of us and it will be there long after all of us. It is incumbent on all of us, especially those of us who are public representatives, to try to improve the retention and preservation of our heritage while we have an opportunity to do so. It is important that we get things right, such as the conservation management plan. This is very important. Equally, it is important that we get a landing facility in place that is appropriate for the island to make it safer for people to disembark and land there. Additionally, there is a need for visitors to have an awareness of the wildlife and heritage on the island. The measure taken in this regard is a small one. It did not take a huge effort, but it is important that there is this awareness. The Minister of State will remember the conversation we had with the lovely couple who were keeping an lóistín over the summer and the terrible stories they had to relay to us concerning how irresponsible a very small minority of visitors were concerning the wildlife on the island. If there was general awareness in this regard, it could prevent much of this type of thing from happening. Having the relevant information distributed is important in this regard, as well as having the co-operation of the people operating the boat services.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I am reminded that during my last visit to the island with Deputy Griffin, the Dáil on the island was pointed out to me. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will be familiar with this too. I then asked about the name of a strand that was within sight and earshot where more than one or two seals were roaring and bawling. The person who was with us said, "Well, we call that the Seanad". Small improvements have been made on the island and hopefully this year people travelling long distances should be able to go to the toilet. This is a basic thing and the OPW is committed to making this change this year.

On a wider issue, this island is of huge international significance also, not only nationally but internationally. It has to be safe, we have to protect it, and we have to hand it on to the next generation in as good, if not better, a condition, than we received it. I pay tribute to the OPW staff working in Ionad an Bhlascaoid. It is a magnificent visitor attraction even for people who cannot go to the island and the investment there will stand the test of time. For any one who has not been there, I urge them to consider visiting. Hopefully, this year we will see a marked improvement in respect of the visitor facilities and a plan going forward with all State agencies, including an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, which will help in the overall capital delivery programme for An Blascaod Mór.