Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has had contact with the Office of Public Works in relation to opening hours and staffing levels at visitor attractions under the remit of the OPW; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8590/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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On 13 January, the Secretary General of my Department, accompanied by the Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Tourism, met with the Chairman of the Commissioners of Public Works, and the Commissioner responsible for the management of visitor attractions in the care of the OPW.

During this meeting, the officials of my Department reaffirmed the importance of the OPW attractions to our tourism offering and expressed concerns that a reduction in the season of opening or opening hours of visitor attractions would have a detrimental effect on the satisfaction levels of overseas and domestic tourists who found themselves unable to access the visitor attractions in question at a time which was suitable to them.

It was suggested that, in the context of adjustments to the OPW budget, efforts could be made to maintain the existing opening arrangements for visitor attractions with a reduced staffing level.

The OPW Commissioners confirmed that the OPW would endeavour, as resources permitted, to continue to support the tourism product and informed my officials that the most significant visitor attractions operated by the OPW would retain the same opening arrangements as existed heretofore. In the case of other visitor attractions in the care of the OPW, the Commissioners undertook to examine the opening arrangements for 2009, with a view to minimising adverse changes to opening arrangements, when the examination of certain budgetary matters within the organisation were concluded.