Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

78. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views with the condition of the Loughcrew cairns. [3537/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Launched in May 2021, the Ancient Destination Experience Development Plan(DEDP) is a five-year destination development plan primarily focused on the area known as the Boyne Valley extending across counties Meath and south Louth. It is designed to be a roadmap for enhancing the existing Ancient visitor proposition to achieve the objectives of addressing seasonality, increasing visitor numbers, improving dwell time and visitor dispersion across the destination.

The plan will provide a destination wide tourism development focus, harnessing existing plans and examining new projects to create a world class destination ensuring Ancient is the core development theme. To do this, the DEDP aims to develop the portfolio of accessible heritage assets, including capitalising on the potential of existing sites like Loughcrew Cairns.

The OPW is the lead agency for Loughcrew Cairns and ultimately the condition of the cairns are a matter for that Agency.

The DEDP provides, in relation to Loughcrew Cairns, that the Office of Public Works (OPW) will:

- Undertake an examination of existing site review documents to establish areas of prioritisation in addressing visitor management requirements for the site and future inclusion in strategic projects between OPW and Fáilte Ireland.

- Provide experience development support for the identification of a range of management options for the site, accounting for the current archaeological management requirements of the site.

Fáilte Ireland is arranging a meeting with the newly appointed senior management in the OPW to agree priorities for the current year and building on the to date in developing a portfolio of accessible heritage assets.