Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I wish to restate a matter I raised some months ago. In 1792, a Count Rice from Dingle organised a plan to free Marie Antoinette from incarceration. The count and his family organised a fleet of ships to take her from France to the safety of Dingle and a house was prepared for her there. This is the only connection between Ireland and Marie Antoinette. Rice House, currently in the ownership of Údarás na Gaeltachta, is now threatened with sale. I raised this issue before and while the cottage is still for sale, the sale was not proceeded with at that time. The Government needs to take a firmer stand and protect the Marie Antoinette residence. Rice House is one of the few surviving examples of an 18th century merchant's house in Ireland and should be protected in the national interest. I ask the Leader to raise this at the appropriate level of Government and perhaps hold a discussion on it in this House.