Seanad debates

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Adjournment Matters

Heritage Projects

8:20 pm

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Senators. I am pleased to attend the Seanad to discuss the future of Thoor Ballylee and to hear from Senator Healy Eames the progress that has been made locally to open Yeats's former home. As Senators will be aware from previous debates on this topic, Thoor Ballylee is the former holiday home of W.B. Yeats. He purchased the property in 1916 and it is only a few miles from Coole Park, the home of his life-long patron and friend, Lady Gregory. The tower house was given by Yeats's son, Michael Yeats, to Ireland west regional tourism authority, and it transferred to Fáilte Ireland in 2006 when the regional tourism authority was merged with Fáilte Ireland.

On taking over the regional tourism authority, Fáilte Ireland also took on the operation of the network of tourist information offices throughout the country. The management and staffing of these offices, their opening hours and their locations are a matter for Fáilte Ireland and its management. Given the pressures on the public finances and in response to changes in the needs of tourists, Fáilte Ireland, like many other State agencies, continues to reshape its services. It is also prioritising the locations where tourist information offices are provided. As part of this, Fáilte Ireland has been working in partnership with local communities. To date, approximately 40% of tourist information offices have been taken over by local authorities, chambers of commerce and community groups. Fáilte Ireland does not operate tourism attractions, and where it has inherited attractions, it has sought to dispose of its interest at an appropriate stage.

In respect of Thoor Ballylee, Senators will be aware that this area of Galway was badly affected by flooding in 2009. The tower house was badly damaged by this flooding and has been closed ever since. In 2012, Fáilte Ireland spent €200,000 in weatherproofing the building and protecting its fabric, and further works will be required if the building is to open again. However, this future investment would not represent value for money for Fáilte Ireland. This is because the number of visitors who sought tourist information when the house was open was too small to justify spending scarce resources on reopening the building as a tourist information office. In that light, Fáilte Ireland has been exploring other options for its future operations and seeking the involvement of interested parties to operate the tower house. I contacted with Fáilte Ireland yesterday regarding the Yeats Thoor Ballylee society, and I understand the agency has written today to say that it is agreeable to granting the society a licence subject to clarification of a number of issues. I would encourage the society to work with Fáilte Ireland and I wish it the best of luck. I hope we have a very successful outcome.

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