Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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201. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the meetings that have been held by Departments regarding the transfer of Shannon Heritage sites. [62358/22]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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202. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the Shannon Heritage working group will meet next. [61416/22]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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203. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a full report of the meetings that Shannon Heritage working group has had to date. [61417/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 201, 202 and 203 together.

I would like to thank the Deputy for these questions.

Government appreciates the important role of Shannon Heritage to the economy of the Midwest region and, in terms of Ireland’s built heritage, recognises that the heritage sites operated by Shannon Heritage are of intrinsic historical and cultural value.

It is considered that the proposed transfer of the Shannon Heritage business and sites in County Clare to Clare County Council is the best way to secure the longer-term viability of the business and the interests of Shannon Heritage employees.

Building on work and engagement already underway, the Department of Transport established an inter-departmental working group on the transfer of Shannon Heritage in May 2022. Representatives from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Office of Public Works, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media participate in this group.

The Group has held four meetings to date (19 May, 9 June, 30 June, and 13 October). The inter-departmental group identified a number of ways the transfer could be supported, and the group’s findings were communicated to the Shannon Airport Group and Clare County Council by the Department of Transport. The Department asked both to continue their engagement in light of the supports identified, with a view to reaching agreement on a transfer.

No further meeting of the inter-departmental group is currently planned but other bilateral engagements between departments, Ministers, and stakeholders is continuing with a view to progressing the transfer as soon as possible.

Engagement is currently ongoing as a matter of priority across relevant government departments, including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with a view to exploring what level of funding might be available in 2023 to support the transfer of the Shannon Heritage sites to the Council.