Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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377. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has received a request from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport offering to transfer the Thoor Ballylee Tower House, County Galway to his Department; if he will consider the re-opening of the tower house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49231/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport indicated that Fáilte Ireland would be willing to transfer ownership of Thoor Ballylee to my Department as a possible route to having it re-opened to the public. The tower house is owned by Fáilte Ireland but was badly damaged by flooding in 2009 and has since been closed to the public.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) manages and provides visitor services at national monuments in my ownership or guardianship. I initiated discussions with the OPW on foot of Fáilte Ireland’s offer to establish the potential for the monument to be added to the portfolio of sites operated by the OPW with visitor facilities. However, having regard to the present condition of the monument and the likely costs of the remedial works needed to allow visitor facilities to be restored; the long-term conservation and maintenance implications; and the much reduced funding currently available to manage the existing portfolio of national monuments my Department and the OPW cannot, in present circumstances, commit the resources needed to allow Fáilte Ireland’s proposal to be taken up. On that basis, I have now informed the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport that I am not in a position to accept Fáilte Ireland’s offer. The monument will therefore remain in the ownership of Fáilte Ireland.

There may be other viable options available to Fáilte Ireland for bringing Thoor Ballylee back into public use. My Department and the OPW would be happy to provide any advice or guidance to the owner of the monument, Fáilte Ireland, that might be of assistance.