Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on correspondence regarding funding in respect of a monument (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5876/14]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Dunbeg Fort at Fahan, Co. Kerry is a National Monument in private ownership and is under the Guardianship of the Commissioners of Public Works under the relevant National Monuments legislation. As a National Monument in State care, its maintenance is therefore the responsibility of the National Monuments Service of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The Fort occupies a very precarious position at the cliff edge and as such is at risk. As has been widely reported in the media in recent days, the structure suffered a significant collapse during recent storms and a significant portion of the Fort has collapsed irretrievably into the sea.

The OPW has, since the collapse, been assessing the damage done to the Monument, in conjunction with a structural engineer and relevant archaeological personnel from the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht. In cooperation with the owner, protective fencing has been erected and public access to the Fort has been prohibited in view of the current situation, where the structure remains highly unstable and unsafe.

Investigations are continuing currently, as weather permits, to assess whether it will be possible to restore limited public access to a portion of the site in the future. The assessment will also investigate whether any mitigating measures are feasible to protect any of the remaining structure from further collapse and erosion damage. At this point it is not possible to say whether any such measures are viable. Though the OPW and the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht are focussed on protecting and conserving as much as possible of the Monument, it may not prove feasible ultimately, given its current highly precarious state and the severe weather currently, to protect the structure from even further loss.