Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the Chamber. I also welcome the Bill and the proposal to move the powers to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It is the right thing to do and I welcome it. I thank the Minister of State for the work he has done in the past year. I have seen his commitment to this portfolio in a case in which he has been very engaged. I refer to Knocklofty House in Tipperary. I thank him for meeting with the Save Knocklofty House group, which is working in my parish of Grange to preserve a building that has been left idle and has fallen into decay in recent years. I know the Minister of State has agreed to visit during the summer. I hear he is going to Waterford not Tipperary. He is looking out for all his neighbouring counties, which is very much welcome. I would welcome it if he gets an opportunity to respond. I hope we can get consensus between those who own the building and Tipperary County Council and that the Department would be able to do something to support it financially in order to maintain it. I am not saying the building must necessarily be restored, as that is a big task in itself, but to stop the decay and dereliction that is the case currently. In his portfolio, the Minister of State is aware that there are so many beautiful historic buildings around the country and Knocklofty House is one of those. He knows from the people he spoke to in that group that there is a real passion in the community for the building. I thank the Minister of State personally for his engagement with the group and the work going forward.