Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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35. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on the preservation of the Naomh Éanna. [31209/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Naomh Éanna had been moored at Grand Canal Dock since 1989, when it was found to no longer meet health and safety requirements to operate as a passenger-carrying vessel. Unfortunately, the ship deteriorated substantially since then and I am advised that very significant investment would be required to preserve the already unstable hull of the vessel and to bring the vessel to the point where it would be safe and insurable. I am further advised that the vessel's owners, the Irish Nautical Trust, do not have the financial resources to deal with these issues and therefore entered into an agreement with Waterways Ireland earlier this year to dispose of the vessel.

On foot of that agreement, the vessel was moved on 19 February last to a dry dock adjacent to the Grand Canal Basin, a property owned by NAMA, to facilitate its safe disposal. However, arrangements to dispose of it were subsequently put on hold to give an opportunity to a group interested in preserving the vessel to develop a suitable business proposal and to secure the require financing. I understand that these matters are still being pursued by the group concerned.

I am informed by Waterways Ireland that the group proposing to restore the Naomh Éanna is currently in discussions with NAMA to secure its agreement to allow work on the vessel to be undertaken within the dry dock to which it was relocated last February. Waterways Ireland is awaiting the outcome of those discussions.