Shannon heritage sites transfer
Deputy Wynne said Clare County Council has completed its work on the transfer of Shannon heritage sites but the funding package is still unresolved. The Taoiseach said the Housing Minister is engaging on the issue and indicated the sites could be a significant future addition.
I wish to highlight the issues surrounding the transfer of the four Shannon heritage sites in County Clare to Clare County Council. The council has done its due diligence, has handed over a 600-page report and has been clear with the Government that the transfer cannot happen without the proposed funding package being signed off. The Taoiseach is the middleman. Enough time has laboured on. The sites have deteriorated over the last few years and will deteriorate further. Earlier this year, the Taoiseach said that Clare County Council needed to get on with this. It has done so and has handed over its report. What is needed now are security and certainty for staff and their families and a future for these important cultural sites. What is needed is a commitment from the Taoiseach today to provide a timeline and deadline.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is engaging with local authorities in respect of this. The 600-page report looks like a hefty one. The issue is financial.
I believe that these centres will be a significant addition. The potential is there to advance and develop them to a greater extent perhaps than before.