Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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235. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the conditions attached to the award of €2.6 million to Shannon Heritage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22168/20]

Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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236. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if part of the €2.6 million granted to Shannon Heritage has been spent on its Dublin based operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22169/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together.

I would like to thank the Deputy for his questions in relation to Shannon Heritage and can confirm that having considered the difficulties facing Shannon Heritage and the importance of Bunratty Castle and Folkpark and King Johns Castle to the local economy and the region, I have committed to provide funding to Shannon Group to ensure that these two landmark tourist attractions which were due to close at the end of August, can remain open to the end of 2020. The provision of this funding ensures continued employment for 52 employees at these sites who would otherwise have been laid off by Shannon Heritage at the end of August.

Conditions attaching to the funding, including the amount of funding that is necessary to keep these two sites open until the end of December, are currently being discussed between my Department and Shannon Group. The position in relation to the opening of these and other Shannon Heritage sites in 2021 will be considered as part of a wider review currently underway in my Department on the future of Shannon Group, including Shannon Heritage. Given the importance of Shannon Group to the economy of the Midwest region and indeed nationally, it is my intention to bring recommendations to Government in this regard shortly.