Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of the Shannon Heritage group. It is hard to believe and almost beggars belief that the understanding that was made, which was that the Shannon Heritage group would switch from Shannon Group to Clare County Council, was not followed through on in the budget. These are key tourism sites, namely, Bunratty Castle, Craggaunowen Castle, Knappogue Castle and Dunguaire Castle. They are a package of sites that bring tourists in huge numbers to the mid-west to Limerick and Clare. The sites are in trouble because they have not had investment for years. What is puzzling is the fact that an interdepartmental group was set up in June of this year to effectively arrange for the transfer of the sites to Clare County Council. The workers were expecting it, as was their union, SIPTU. They waged a powerful campaign over the last couple of years, in which I was proud to stand with them, to see that this was done.

As the Deputy Leader will know, there are six Deputies and Senators on the Government side in County Clare alone and yet, somehow, the Government dropped the ball in the budget. Somehow, the small sum of €5 million that was required, which I am sure the Deputy Leader will agree is a literal drop in the ocean in terms of the budget, did not happen. The problem is that the interdepartmental group has so many components to it that there does not seem to be anyone to actually make the decision to get this transfer done and get the funding. It cannot happen without that funding. We need to see our key tourism sites properly resourced and financed. The workers have been incredibly let down. They face being let go again in January. They have had this huge insecurity for the last couple of years.Their union, SIPTU, has waged a powerful campaign and yet, for reasons no one can explain, the Government has not acted. I want to acknowledge that Senator Conway on the Government benches has been consistent in raising this issue as well, to be fair to him. I cannot believe it has not happened and it is a key issue for tourism in the mid-west. I am asking for an urgent debate on the matter. We cannot let this go. If it slips beyond Christmas, you have to wonder what the future is for these key sites in our tourism package in the mid-west. I ask for an urgent debate on the matter and I might even ask the Deputy Leader to write to the relevant Ministers to see what is holding this up. All of us want to see it happen but it has not happened.