Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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20. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on proposed developments at the Oldbridge site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22101/23]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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Oldbridge Estate is situated on 500 acres in Co. Meath taking in much of the original historic battlefield of the Battle of the Boyne. It was acquired by the Irish State for the purpose of conserving and presenting the location of this pivotal event in Irish history, for current and future generations. The site is of deep historical and political significance to many communities on the island of Ireland and a significant population of visitors from communities in Northern Ireland visit the site each year.

Oldbridge House provides an interpretative centre, which can welcome over 30,000 annual visitors to the exhibition featuring authentic 17th   century armaments and accompanying audio-visual presentations. The surrounding parkland holds both Green Flag and Green Heritage Site status, and is the seventh most popular free OPW visitor site nationwide.

The OPW is ambitious for the Battle of the Boyne at Oldbridge Estate to build on the success of the parklands and develop into the future as a multi-faceted visitor attraction.

To advance this objective, the OPW commissioned a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) to assess and outline the significant features of the estate and provide a roadmap of future development potential. A first draft of this report has been received, with a final draft expected in Q2 2023.

A Biodiversity Baseline Study has been completed for the estate. The outputs from this study will inform the site's biodiversity mission and will direct the team who ensure the Estate continues to meet the high standards of An Taisce's Green Flag programme.

There are four structures at the entrance of the site known as 'Oldbridge Village', which are constructed in the footprint of historic buildings and offer an atmospheric first impression of the battle site. These have come to the end of their expected lifespan and tenders will shortly be invited to replace them. The replacement works will be scheduled for completion in 2023.

Tenders have also been invited to undertake works to prop up a limb of the Battle Oak, a significant tree on the site that survives since the day of the battle in 1690. This will ensure the ongoing survival of the tree, which was a finalist for Ireland's Tree of the Year in 2019.

The Farmyard Complex, located between the battlefield and the river Boyne, is in need of restoration works, and a number of recommendations for its future conservation and possible restoration will be included in the final CMP. Invitations to tender are expected to issue in coming months for engineering and ecological surveys of the farmyard buildings and for a ground penetrating radar survey of the farmyard to identify any archaeological material below ground. 

Following complicated repairs, the laser model that forms the centrepiece of the exhibition in Oldbridge House is once again operational. 

In the longer term, the OPW looks forward to developing detailed plans for reinvigorating the exhibition and visitor offer, which has proven popular for its fifteen years of service, but has the potential for a re-imagining to present the history of the Battle of the Boyne to a new generation of visitors.