Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House this evening.

I want to ask the Minister whether plans are in place to provide funding for the development of tourist facilities at the residence of Seán Mac Diarmada, one of the signatories of the 1916 Proclamation. The house is in the same condition today as it was when Seán Mac Diarmada left it. It would be a major tourism boost for the Kiltyclogher area. The roof will need to be repaired, although some minor work has been carried out. The site would need parking and toilet facilities. In view of the fact that the celebrations for the centenary of the Easter Rising will be held in 2016 and The Gathering will be held next year, the development of the house would bring more tourists to north Leitrim.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Such works would come under my responsibility as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. I am grateful to the Senator for raising this matter. My understanding is that the Mac Diarmada family residence is located in a rural part of County Leitrim near the village of Kiltyclogher. The site contains a collection of buildings centred around a traditional farm cottage residence and including a number of farm outbuildings. The entire complex represents a very fine example of a vernacular farmstead typical of the era. It comes under my responsibility as it is formally listed as a national monument in State care.

The property is in the ownership of the State and is cared for by the Office of Public Works national monuments service. The Mac Diarmada homestead buildings are in generally good condition and do not require major intervention. Indeed, the general view might be that a substantial intervention would alter their essential character and obliterate the very thing that makes them worth preserving. There is, of course, a need for ongoing conservation of the collection of buildings. The Office of Public Works is especially conscious of its obligations in view of the upcoming 1916 commemorations, when all of the properties in its care with a connection to this era - including the Pearse museum in St. Enda's, Rathfarnham, which is in my own constituency, and the Pearse cottage in Rosmuc, which is in Senator Ó Clochartaigh's constituency - will play an important part in the remembrance of these significant events in our national history.

Along with the general approach to significant works on the site, it has been necessary to carry out a limited but substantial conservation project at the main residence. I understand that the OPW has spent ¤30,000 on this in recent works. It is important that the local community knows that such moneys have been expended on the site. This is a traditional thatched building. The roof suffered quite badly during the heavy snowfalls of recent winters, to a point at which both the external roof surface and the supporting structure were quite badly affected. This year, the national monuments service of the OPW undertook a project to address these issues, and I am pleased to report that the problem has been fully rectified. The roof has been rethatched and underlying structural improvements have been made, with a total investment in the site of ¤30,000. The OPW is confident, therefore, that the building is in good condition and needs no further substantial work at this stage. Closer to the time of the 1916 anniversary, my office will look afresh at the site and will address the position of the surface presentation so that the general appearance of the site and the buildings will be ready for any commemoration events.

I will speak in reply to the main point raised by the Senator that resources should be directed towards the provision of tourist facilities and services at the Mac Diarmada homestead. The OPW does not provide a guide service at this site and there are no proposals to do so in the short term. Such a decision would involve substantial ongoing costs, which are a difficulty at this time. Notwithstanding the current interest in sites associated with the 1916 Rising, the OPW is not certain there is sufficient level of interest in the long term to sustain such an operation. There is as yet no compelling evidence to warrant the provision of such extensive visitor facilities.

The OPW strategy will, however, remain focused on ensuring that the opportunities to present the site are availed of where possible and that any interest manifested by visitors is catered for. The OPW engages actively with the local community with regard to the site. There is an active Seán Mac Diarmada commemoration committee in County Leitrim with which the OPW engages by means of a contact based in the local library in Manorhamilton. The OPW also facilitates small events, seminars, tours, etc., at the property as requested, in co-operation with interested locals. I have encouraged the OPW to remain in contact with this group in order to build on its very good relationship with it.

As the Senator may be aware, I have this year pioneered a new development in the OPW called the communities involvement initiative. Properly constituted and insured local community-based groups interested in the development and promotion of such sites would co-operate with the OPW to help present such sites to visitors and other interested parties. The OPW cannot possibly present a full visitor service at all of the many wonderful sites in its care. However, it may be possible for it to enter into co-operative arrangements with other parties so that local knowledge can be utilised and sites can be opened for guided tour groups. The OPW will, at my request, launch the community initiative for 2013 shortly. I encourage this and other groups with an interest in our heritage to contact the OPW national monuments service in order to explore the possibilities presented. The OPW is willing to work with local communities in order to make sites accessible for visitors. This arrangement has worked very well at approximately 20 sites. It is an effective handing over of a site to a local community in circumstances in which the OPW no longer has the funds to guide this.

I can assure the Senator - who is a friend of mine - that the next time I am in County Leitrim I will be more than happy to visit the Mac Diarmada homestead and meet the local committee in order to take the initiative forward.

Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State. We will take him up on that offer. The next time he is in north Leitrim we will take him to visit that site and many other sites around the area. I agree it is a good idea to liaise with the local community with regard to commemorative events for 1916. It may be possible to have a guide service in place with the co-operation of the local community. I acknowledge the expenditure of ¤30,000 on repairs to the structure and its thatched roof. I look forward to visit of the Minister of State to the house in north Leitrim.