Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is more than welcome. It is great to have him the Chamber again. I compliment his work in the Seanad. It is always great to see him here taking these Commencement Matter debates.

The issue I raise relates to Desmond Castle in Kinsale. It is a unique structure which has been closed due to structural issues since 2018. The castle's history is unique. It goes back to the 1500s and is a classic urban tower, three storeys high. It was once a prison which held prisoners from Spain, Portugal, Holland and all the way across to America. It was also used as a French prison. Across the centuries, it has also been put to other uses. It was originally a custom house. Since it was closed in 2018, we have been trying to find a pathway to get the Office of Public Works, OPW, to carry out the required conservation works so we can reopen this important part of Kinsale's heritage.

Kinsale is a unique tourist location.We have a lot to offer. Kinsale is the gourmet capital of Ireland without a shadow of a doubt. We have been blessed in many ways by the hand of history and by the hand of geography. We have an OPW site called Charles Fort with more than 100,000 visitors every year. The key issue is to build capacity in the sector in order that Kinsale can have an offering that can cover all eventualities. As this site is an indoor site, it works well with the other sites we have. When one looks at what we also have to offer, it includes the Battle of Kinsale from 1601, which is an important part of our history. We need to see a timeline as to when the conservation works will begin. There have been continuous reports and talk about reports on the site itself. I realise and appreciate that the pandemic slowed down works, particularly during the two years of the pandemic. However this site has effectively been closed for five years. We need to find a pathway to getting boots on the ground, get the conservation report done, and off the back of that get something to happen on the site.

That is my second ask. We need to make sure that when we re-open the site, we have a real and meaningful consultation with the local community. There is a view within the local community that this site should be a Battle of Kinsale exhibition centre, which would look and feel very well for the people of Kinsale. We must have movement. It does not work unless we get a pathway where the Minister of State ensures that the OPW finishes the report it is proposing to do and gets boots on the ground. If he can, will the Minister of State inform the House of how, when and where this will happen so there can be some major movement on the ground?

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this very important issue for his community, which I am answering on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy O'Donovan, who has asked me to pass on his apologies as unfortunately, he is taking oral parliamentary questions in the Dáil Chamber this morning. Desmond Castle in Kinsale, also known as the French prison, is one of more than 700 national monuments throughout the country that are conserved, maintained and managed by the Office of Public Works. When it was open for visitors, the castle operated as a town centre seasonal site during the summer months and was managed by OPW staff in conjunction with other major national monuments and with Charles Fort, Kinsale. As the latter attracts approximately 100,000 visitors each year, the importance of these locations to the local community, and the local economy, is recognised. Desmond Castle was built by the Earl of Desmond in or around the year 1500 and is a fine example of an urban tower house with a three-storey keep and storehouses to the rear. It had many uses over the years. It was originally built as a customs house to meet the international trade coming into Kinsale by sea. It also served as a prison for some time in the 18th century and was an ordnance and service store supplying the local English garrison in Charles Fort during the Battle of Kinsale of 1601. It then served as a local workhouse during the Great Famine of the mid-1840s. By the early decades of the 20th century, however, the castle had fallen into decay before it was taken over by the Commissioners of Public Works and declared a national monument in 1938.

As the Senator is aware, the site is currently closed, as extensive conservation works are required and the castle was considered a risk to visitors if kept open. Due to penetration issues, the building requires a full programme of fabric repair and refurbishment works. Several surveys have been completed on the building, including mechanical and electrical, a digital survey of the castle, and a full building fabric report. The works needed to deal with the water penetration issues have also been identified. This is a multi-phased and complex repair project and the OPW is now seeking to appoint an external conservation architect for the entire repair and refurbishment programme, from preliminary design through to handover.

Given that the castle is a national monument, the consent of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will be required for all repair and conservation works. The OPW expects that the repair works contract will be carried out by external contractors, with particular conservation elements undertaken by the OPW’s own skilled workforce. The target is to have the full design process under way and potentially completed this year. The OPW's Mallow district carried out window repairs at the castle in 2022 and some additional masonry repairs to windows are currently being carried out. The completion of the design phase of the project was also impacted by the pandemic as the OPW’s internal resources had to be redirected to meet other demands on the heritage service and as a result, time has been lost on the project. However, the OPW sees an opportunity here to consider the site afresh, interpreting its varied history to bring it to the attention of more visitors to the region. The design phase of the project therefore will bring a new focus on the history of the property with perhaps the 1601 rebellion being a central theme that could be explored.

While there are no immediate plans to open the site to the public, as more work needs to be carried out to develop the interpretation programme for the site, the OPW is a stakeholder in the Fáilte Ireland west Cork coast destination and experience development plan group and it looks forward to working with other stakeholders in the development of the plan as it pertains to Desmond Castle and Kinsale.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. The frustration of the community is the biggest issue. This site closed very abruptly in 2018 and has not reopened five years later. We need to build our tourism offering in Kinsale. It is the really significant site for us, right in the heart of the town. It is an indoor complex that can deliver so much for us. I believe the works that are happening are important but we need to have a definitive timeline, number one on when the works will be finished. Moreover, regarding the 1601 rebellion theme proposal, we need to have a real debate in the town about that. We need to ensure all stakeholders are on board. I hope the Minister of State and his officials will have the opportunity to meet me to discuss this issue in due course and to go through it in detail to ensure we can provide the tourism offering Kinsale requires, which is a timeline and the offering regarding the theme itself.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Lombard for raising this very important issue and outlining the huge benefits of the site to the wider local economy and the tourism potential of the site. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has asked me to inform Senator Lombard directly that he and his officials are wiling to meet him and will contact him at the earliest opportunity to progress this matter.