Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide detailed proposals regarding developments at Kilmainham Gaol, its role in the 1916 centenary celebrations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5780/15]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Kilmainham Gaol is a National Monument site in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and is - with 328,886 visitors in 2014 - one of the most popular and heavily-visited tourist sites in Ireland.

Visitor numbers have been increasing year on year and have now reached a point where the Monument cannot accommodate increased demand with the existing entrance / layout arrangements. Kilmainham Gaol is also, as we know, a very significant site associated with key events in Irish history and, in particular, the 1916 Rising.

The OPW's role at Kilmainham is to maintain the site and present it to the public through a dedicated guide service, explaining its 220 year history and its role in some of the key events in the formation of the State, including the execution of the 1916 Leaders. The site opens to the public on a fulltime basis 362 days a year and has a strong profile as a "must see" visitor site in Dublin; it is therefore a key location in the marketing strategy of Fáilte Ireland for Dublin.

The former Kilmainham Sessions house (Courthouse) occupies a site immediately adjacent to the Gaol to the east. It has presented a unique opportunity to create additional capacity to deal with visitors and to provide ancillary curatorial, exhibition, research and visitor welfare facilities.

In the context of the focus currently on marking the centenary of 1916, and where Kilmainham Gaol obviously holds such a particular strong resonance, the Sessions House facilitates the provision of a greatly enhanced visitor experience at Kilmainham to celebrate some of the seminal moments in the history of the formation of the State, recalling in particular the 1916 executions and the events of the Civil War.

Mindful of the fact therefore that the Gaol makes a very powerful statement about this period of our history, the Government wishes to particularly mark it as a place where the history of the Rising, and many of the historical artefacts associated with it, can be celebrated and shared with citizens and overseas visitors alike. The Government has decided to proceed with the development of this project as one of its signature capital developments associated with the commemorations and arrangements are in train to have these works carried out in time for Spring 2016.

The second major element of work is the refurbishment and adaptation of the existing Museum within the Gaol. This was constructed in the mid 1990's and has been the location for all the Interpretation and artefact displays at Kilmainham. The exhibition is particularly outdated however and needs to be completely redone. In addition, the building itself is being upgraded and a new entrance is being provided so that it can meet the significantly increased visitor traffic flow from the new Courthouse / Gaol entrance arrangements.

On completion of the entire project, Kilmainham Gaol and the new Courthouse Visitor facility will host one of the early official events associated with the 1916 Commemorations with a wreath-laying event on Easter Sunday, 27th March 2016.