Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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316. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the fact that Granard Town Council is contributing 55% of the amount towards the purchase of Granard Motte, if he will ensure that Longford County Council will be recognised in the title (details supplied). [14970/14]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 585 on 25 March 2014. In the meantime my Department has written to Granard Town Council confirming the availability of Departmental funding to assist with the acquisition of the property, provided the Council is agreeable to ownership being vested in me as Minister.

Although still in private ownership, Granard Motte and Bailey has been in the guardianship of the State under the National Monuments Acts since 1926. It is one of the relatively few such monuments in County Longford. The inclusion of the monument in the State's portfolio for almost 90 years reflects its importance as one of the foremost examples of its type in Ireland. Maintaining the State's stewardship into the future would mean that the monument would continue to benefit directly from the expertise and resources of the management team (comprised of my own Department's National Monuments Service and the Office of Public Works' conservation experts) which oversees the care and maintenance of all monuments in State care.