Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to the refurbished House and I thank him for loosening the purse strings to do a wonderful job on the historic Leinster House. The Office of Public Works is to be congratulated on a marvellous piece of work.

Alas, that is not why we are here today. We are here at the request of Councillor Paddy McQuillan in regard to St. Laurence's Gate in Drogheda. To give some background to the issue, two and half years ago a committee was formed with the purpose of closing the historic and iconic St. Laurence's Gate to public transport and, instead, opening the gate as a tourist attraction for the town. It is already listed on the Discover Ireland website as being widely regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Europe. However, with increased traffic through the town, the gate was being damaged, particularly by trucks that were being sent through it by satellite navigation systems. Indeed, I have some photographs of trucks stuck under the gate and the resulting wear and tear on its structure.

There was great excitement when the newly-established committee got together in Louth County Council and a traffic management plan was designed and implemented, and the gate was closed to traffic. Unbelievably, it is now two years on and the gate is still lying idle, and a very busy tourist season has come and gone without the gates being opened to the public as a visitor attraction. The road markings have not even been removed.The Minister of State's predecessor and our Independent colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, visited the gate and pledged to make it fulfil its potential as an open visitor attraction. It was briefly open to the public during the two recent fleadhanna cheoil. Those events were sold out each day.

It would appear that since the council owns the surrounding land and the Office of Public Works, OPW, owns the protected structure, the delay lies somewhere between the two bodies, but it has proven difficult for councillors and those involved in the campaign to have the gate reopened to get a definitive answer.

The gate was built in 1280 and has survived to the present day, but it needs careful work if its structure is to be protected. This is particularly true regarding the south tower, which I understand is structurally damaged and needs repair. Bringing the tower up to the standards required to make it a safe and sustainable visitor attraction will require investment by the OPW, but time is of the essence. Given the work done in Leinster House, there is no organisation better qualified to bring a building back to its original standards than the OPW.

County Louth has an impressive tourism offering and an enviable built and natural heritage set in a unique location at the very heart of Ireland's Ancient East. The council and its economic forum have a strong and achievable tourism plan with Drogheda as a gateway town at the centre, but, sadly, without its historic gate. What plans has the Minister of State for the tower's renovations? When can the people of Drogheda expect the gate to be fully restored and open to the public for tourism business?

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I thank the Senator for his welcome words for my OPW staff and colleagues. I also thank the Houses of the Oireachtas, which have done a tremendous job. People might complain about what it cost to do up Leinster House, but the damage was only visible after the plaster was peeled back. The finished article is now a house for the future. I wish Senators the best of luck in the year ahead.

The St. Laurence's Gate building is an iconic structure in Drogheda and is instantly recognisable as a reminder of the ancient town defences. It is a 13th century barbican and was one of the entry points to the town in medieval times. It is a strong visual reminder of Drogheda's past.

The major issue with the gate in recent years was the fact that the roadway through it had been used for ordinary traffic purposes until 2017 when the local authority decided that vehicles should be rerouted away from the archway. It was the OPW's view at the time that this was essential to prevent further physical damage to the monument, as repeated vehicle strikes had given rise to serious alarm over the years and there was a genuine fear that it might be compromised or even terminally damaged. The OPW was relieved when the difficult decision was taken locally to remove the traffic threat from the area. I applaud the members and executive of Louth County Council for taking that decision.

Having resolved the traffic issue, the question arises as to what steps are necessary to realise the full potential of the gate and how to reopen it to the public, thereby creating a new focal point and a tourism attraction in the town. This needs the co-operation of the OPW, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the local authority, each of which has a role to play. There is no doubt that this is a very challenging proposition, one fraught with difficulty. Two major issues present: first, how to arrange safe access into the interior of what is a compact and confined space in a way that is suitable and enjoyable for visitors and, second, how to deal with the building's multiple serious structural issues in a way that preserves its stability and structural integrity.

The gate building can actually be visited on special arrangement. This option has been open to the public previously and was done on a number of occasions on foot of special arrangements made as part of the heritage week, recent fleadhanna cheoil, and the other local festivals that the Senator referenced. I confirm that the building will continue to be available for opening on request for special events. These limited openings have proven popular and serve as a direct reminder of the locals' pride in this landmark building and the potential it holds for visitor attractions in Drogheda.

Bearing that in mind, the OPW and Louth County Council have co-operated since the traffic closure in trying to find a way to have the gate open to the public continuously.The council has also prioritised proposals for creating a landscape plan for the surrounding area and developing a public realm project to improve the immediate vicinity of the building. However, the single most serious and pressing issue that is causing difficulty and impeding progress is the structural condition of the building. This has been prioritised over any other issue since it calls into question the continued stability of the monument.

As a result of a structural assessment in early 2017 by external consultant engineers working for the OPW, major cracks and structural weaknesses that have significantly compromised the building were discovered. This means that in the view of both the OPW and the structural consultants the building is unsafe for unrestricted general access and, although the OPW can continue to open it under supervision for special occasions, it cannot be fully opened as a visitor attraction in its current condition. The OPW has been working on the development of a scheme of works to counteract this problem with the assistance of its engineers and is aiming to advance a project at the site when this has concluded.

I must caution the Senator that this is a very complex and challenging works proposal. The OPW is not in a position to say when it will be concluded and a stabilised building provided. The OPW is conscious of the need to progress this project. However, there are a significant number of urgent and pressing needs at other monuments in the Louth-Meath area and resources will at times have to be prioritised to deal with those. I appreciate that this will cause some disappointment as I am sure that locals were hopeful that the gate would soon become a favourite destination for visitors. I regret that this will not be achievable in the short term.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I understand the limitations placed on the Department and that the Minister of State has calls from all corners of the country for various projects relating to monuments. The important aspect here is that there is a possibility of payback by having it open as a tourist attraction in Drogheda. When he returns to his Department the Minister of State might discuss with his officials how we could move the project forward. I appreciate that the matter is complex. The fact that it crosses three different organisations makes it even more difficult. However, the councillors I met in Drogheda to discuss this issue are willing to work with the Minister of State in any way they can in order that the monument can be opened for Drogheda as the gateway to the Ireland's Ancient East.

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I assure the Senator that I am working with the local authority there also. It has a number of different issues on which I am working with it all the time. This is a serious structural issue. While the Department has consultants viewing it, we still have to find the money and resources to make it a proper attraction. It is open from time to time for different events and I was influential in making that happen last year for the Fleadh Cheoil and local festivals. I will continue to do that and make it as open as possible for the people. I will also work to get the money to do what people want to be done with the building for the future.