Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details of the contract for the management of a heritage site (details supplied) in County Limerick; if a contract such as this will be considered for other heritage sites in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7703/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Adare Heritage Centre is a registered charity governed by a private limited company whose purpose it is to advance the arts, culture and heritage to the benefit of the local community in the village. A number of years ago, the Office of Public Works (OPW) entered into an arrangement with the Adare Heritage Centre to provide access to Adare Castle for visitors. This was considered necessary due to the site's location. The entrance to the Castle is located off the busy N21 road, which makes vehicular access and egress difficult. There is no car parking infrastructure. Furthermore, the Castle sits on the bank of the River Maigue. For health and safety reasons, therefore, the OPW determined the site could be visited by guided tour only. The OPW provides funding for the shuttle bus and guide service which operate from Adare Heritage Centre during the summer months.

The OPW has a number of partnerships with local authorities and local community heritage groups around the country at certain National Monument sites where it would be logistically challenging for the OPW to operate a permanent or seasonal guide service. Local community and local authority partnerships can be a practical way of managing the visitor experience in such instances.

The OPW is open to considering proposals from not-for-profit local community heritage groups or local authorities in respect of sites that are suitable for managed public access.