Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was saddened to hear today of the death of Professor Michael O'Keeffe, who was one of the country's most renowned eye surgeons. He was a pioneer in his day and recognised worldwide for his contribution to the area of eye care.What made Michael exceptional was his generosity with his time, particularly in terms of the advocacy work he did on behalf of blind and visually impaired people, not just in Ireland but throughout Europe and the world. He will be sadly missed. Of course, his connections with Leinster House are well known. His brother Ned O'Keeffe is a former Minister of State and his nephew, Kevin O'Keeffe, is a former Member of Dáil Éireann. I sympathise with the O'Keeffe family and salute the great work that Michael did throughout his life. Even after he retired from public practice, he continued working as an eye specialist, eye surgeon and an advocate. As I said, he will be sadly missed.

I have stood up in this Chamber numerous times and raised the issue of Shannon Heritage, as have other colleagues. What is happening with Shannon Heritage is unacceptable. Clare County Council has been asked to take over Shannon Heritage but it is not being given the money to do so. My understanding is that the offer on the table falls far short of what is needed to make the attractions sustainable into the future. Bunratty Castle, Knappogue Castle and the other attractions are a hallmark of County Clare and its tourism offering. They complement the Cliffs of Moher and all of the other facilities in Clare. The Government has a responsibility to bring this to an end, not just for the sake of the tourism offering in County Clare but also for the staff who are working in Shannon Heritage. I was disappointed before Christmas to hear other politicians making premature announcements about what is happening. My clear understanding is that there has been no progress and I ask the Acting Leader to raise this matter with the relevant Ministers, particularly the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, who is the line manager, so to speak.