Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, to the House. He is almost as familiar as I am with the subject matter we will deal with. He opened the gardens of Killarney House, which are a tremendous asset, last year. It is the St. Stephen's Green of Killarney. A significant number of visitors have passed through the amenity. The Minister of State is an annual visitor to Killarney.

As the Minister of State has said, the investment in the house and gardens involves about €8 million. It is the foremost visitor attraction in Killarney and is capable of becoming the largest visitor attraction in the south. Are we hiding our light under a bushel in not having the amenity open? A year ago, the Minister of State and I thought the gardens would have reopened earlier this year, but that has not happened.

It is the house of the Browne family, who were the Earls of Kenmare and very involved in the development of Killarney town over centuries. Latterly, it has been the home of John McShane, the man who built the Pentagon and other famous buildings in Washington. It is intended that it be the main visitor centre for Killarney National Park. One can guess how important that is.

The house has been involved in the development of the town over a long period of time. It is one of the most, if not the most, valuable tourist asset in the south. It has become a major attraction, but if the house is reopened it will become the main attraction in the south and south-west.

I look forward to the comments of the Minister of State. Mr. Pat Dawson, the regional manager for the area, and his staff are very good. The Minister of State might refer to the governance and management that is in place. I am sure his Department has sorted things out internally and is capable of doing good job.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for the opportunity to speak here again to highlight this wonderful project in Kerry. The Killarney House project involves my Department, the Office of Public Works, as project managers for the construction, and Fáilte Ireland. The Department first announced the project in 2011 with a budget of €10 million. Fáilte Ireland has committed funding of €5.2 million under its tourism capital investment programme and the balance is being funded by my Department.

The National Tourism Development Authority’s significant financial contribution to the project is a clear statement of its confidence that this project will make a significant contribution in the future to the south-west tourism offering. I am confident that the development will optimise the potential of Killarney House as a top class visitor and tourism centre. It will do this in parallel to respecting its prime focus as a visitor centre for Killarney National Park and by developing its status as a heritage property managed by my Department.

In 2016, it was decided to pursue the opening of Killarney House and Gardens on a phased basis. The opening of the gardens occurred during 2016 and the completion of the historic rooms and the interpretative exhibition is being prioritised for 2017. I recognise the significant interest at local level in opening the facility as soon as possible, and I assure the Senator my Department is working tirelessly to meet these deadlines.

The house is being developed as the main visitor and interpretative centre for the national park, highlighting the beauty, richness and significance of the park’s landscapes, habitats, flora and fauna as well as telling the story of human interaction with the park over the centuries. Some of the formal rooms are currently being restored to their former glory.

As the Senator knows, the original ornamental grounds and gardens immediately surrounding the House have been restored, creating spectacular landscaped areas that will merge into the natural areas of the park and provide vistas linking the town to the scenery of the mountain, woods and water.The gardens were opened to much public acclaim in April 2016 and I formally opened them last August.

The visitor centre will have various aspects, including a newly built extension to the house. It will be a visitor centre for the national park, explaining its significance and importance to the town and region, providing information on the major themes of the national park: mountains, woods, water and the human impact on the environment. The final phase of building works to the house is now complete. I intend to open the historical rooms element of the exhibition during the summer. In this context, works in the restoration and refurbishment of the furniture collection for display are significantly advanced. The exhibition phase of the project, to be located within Killarney House, is advancing and I expect the various elements of the works to be completed this year. It is intended to open them to the public as soon as they are completed.

Visitors to Killarney usually stay in the town and visit other locations and attractions within the immediate area or the wider region. The length of stay tends to be quite short and, in the case of bus tours, may be just one night. Often a visit will be confined to Muckross House which focuses on cultural heritage and many tourists will leave Killarney unaware of the true extent and beauty of the national park that surrounds them. When completed, Killarney House and gardens will explain the relevance and importance of Killarney National Park both from a cultural and a natural heritage point of view which will be to the benefit of tourists and local businesses.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to update him on what will no doubt prove to be one of the country's most significant assets from a cultural and a natural heritage perspective.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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A good result for the Senator. He must be planning on running for the Dáil.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Not necessarily; the Cathaoirleach should not read that into it.

I thank the Minister of State most sincerely. The significant line was: "I intend to open the historical rooms element of the exhibition during the summer." I look forward to him doing so as early as possible in time for the main part of the season. It seems, however, that there is a delay in opening the interpretative centre exhibition area for the national park. The Minister of State will open the historical rooms and the rest will be opened on a phased basis. Is there a problem, financial or otherwise?

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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There is no money available.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Perhaps there is a reason for the delay. I do not know whether the Minister of State can tell me anything about it, but it is a question that is on everybody's lips in the town of Killarney and among those connected with the tourism industry in the south west. If the Minister of State can say a little about it and perhaps about management of the centre when it is opened, it would be appreciated.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As I stated, there is an investment of €10 million. Fáilte Ireland has provided €5.2 million. As I told the Senator previously in the House, I was Minister of State with responsibility for tourism when the decision was taken and believe it was the right one. The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is putting up the remaining funds.

We agreed that we would open the centre on a phased basis. We had a great day last year. There was great community spirit when the gardens were opened. Works to the house are now complete. Works to the exhibition and historical rooms are taking a little longer. We are putting pressure on the OPW to have them completed. There is great interest in Killarney where people want to have the house open this summer. I am putting pressure on the OPW to have it ready, with the exhibition rooms, if we can, but it is taking longer than expected to complete.

There is no problem with funding. My understanding is that €10 million was the sum that was required. Like every development that has ever taken place in the country, there may be a knock-on effect with people looking for more than they looked for at the beginning, but everything is being resolved. I am confidence that the house will be opened and we are trying to have the exhibition and historical rooms opened as quickly as possible. There may be some problems, but they are being dealt with.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State's Department will manage it.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The issue of management is different, one on which I will write to the Senator to fill him, as I do not want to make statements here that over which I cannot stand. It is something on which I will come back to him. I will ask the Department to write to him about it.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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For what he has done for Killarney, the Senator will soon be knighted.

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery Mrs. Ann Lawless and Ms Donna Mulcahy Fitts, former chief of staff to Governor Jim Edgar of the state of Illinois. I thank Senator Billy Lawless and Mrs. Lawless and the people of Chicago for the wonderful welcome they gave the Seanad delegation when it visited for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. It really was appreciated and we thank them very much.