Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to update the House on the Nenagh castle project and I thank the Senator for bringing it to the attention of the Seanad. The Nenagh Tourism and Development Committee purchased 35-36 Pearse Street, Nenagh, including outbuildings, with the intention of demolishing them to open up a vista to Nenagh Castle from the Dublin Road approach to the castle. It was intended that opening up the vista would give the castle more visual prominence in the town and bring it back to being a focal point of the town.

However, permission to demolish the two properties on Pearse Street was refused on appeal in 1997. Following this, consultant architects were appointed in 2000 to examine the options for the properties and the castle, in advance of public consultation regarding the future plans. They proposed an extensive scheme including visitor facilities with an estimated cost in 2002 of €1.3 million. Running costs were estimated at €130,000 to €150,000 per annum. The intention was that the facility would be run by the OPW. The castle is in State ownership and the Pearse Street properties were also transferred to State ownership in 2004. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government must ensure the best value use of the resources available for our built heritage. In the present case, it is important that all stakeholders — the Nenagh community, Nenagh Town Council and the State authorities — be involved in advancing an attainable project for the castle. For example, the county manager has said that there are advanced plans to develop tourist trails both in Nenagh itself and in the north Tipperary area and that Nenagh Castle would be integral to these plans.

Therefore, having regard to all the circumstances, it was considered the best solution was to ask the OPW to make recommendations for a suitable development at this site, less ambitious than that identified in the consultant architects' report, and having regard to the other issues, which have emerged concerning the castle and castle field. This has been done. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this review at an early date and I believe that the opportune time to meet with Nenagh Town Council will be when there has been an opportunity to study that review. The Minister would be open to a meeting at that stage because there would be great merit in such a meeting when we have the outcome of the review.