Written answers
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Heritage Sites
Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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235. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the plans to reopen the last round tower in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27388/25]
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when he expects an OPW site (details supplied) to be open to the public and if there will there be access to the tower itself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27411/25]
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there are plans to improve the access roads and local signage regarding an OPW site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27412/25]
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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238. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there are plans to provide amenities such as public lighting, picnic tables, information signage, QR codes to link to previous use on an OPW site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27413/25]
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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239. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if there is a record of the works completed to date on an OPW site (details supplied); if there are plans for further works to be carried out; if so, the timeframe for same; if this information will be available online to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27414/25]
Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 236, 237, 238 and 239 together.
The Office of Public Works is continuing a programme of internal repair work at Rattoo Round Tower, National Monument Number 55. This work will continue throughout the rest of this year. Visitors will continue to be able to access the external areas to view this early ecclesiastical settlement site during this period. The works on the Tower involve the regrouting and repointing of stonework and lime washing internally. An internal platform to facilitate height access for essential repairs in the future has also been carefully installed by the Killarney National Monuments' Depot Works team.
Upon completion of these internal works at Rattoo Tower, the OPW will undertake a reassessment of risk and public access safety. Thereafter a decision will be made by on the extent of public access to the interior of the tower.
As the access road to Rattoo Tower is under the remit of the Local Authority, the OPW has no remit in terms of improving the road or erecting directional signage.
The OPW intends to provide new interpretation at the site however, there are no plans presently to provide other amenities such as picnic tables, seating or public lighting in this location. Such interventions would not be in-keeping with the historic fabric and setting of the site.
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