Sligo Abbey has been described as the jewel in Sligo's heritage crown. Located in the heart of the town, the history of the abbey is the history of Sligo, both being founded in the mid-13th century. Built by the FitzGeralds, the centre of spiritual life was rebuilt following an accidental fire in 1414. Surviving the destructive reforms of Henry VIII and Elizabethan settlement, the abbey was abandoned following its desecration by the Cromwellian forces but it continued to serve as a place of burial for the people of Sligo. Its graves bear witness to the cholera epidemic of 1832 before finally being closed to burials in 1847 at the height of the Famine. The building retains a wealth of features from different eras, a rich diversity of architectural and sculptural styles surpassing much on view in other heritage sites.

The quality of the offering means a record 45,603 people visited Sligo Abbey in 2025, up 33% on the year before, making the abbey County Sligo's most visited heritage site. Despite this attraction, it closes from the end of December until the middle of March each year. This causes disruption to the rhythm of the year as well as to the staff team who must either sign on for the period or find alternative employment. This has resulted in experienced and talented guides finding employment elsewhere. The national tourism strategy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, explicitly prioritises the extension of the tour season and developing less mature regional destinations. Increasing year-round tourism is the number one objective in the Fáilte Ireland destination and experience development plan for Sligo. The nearest comparable town-centre, OPW-managed site in the region is Donegal Castle, which operates year-round. Donegal has seen domestic tourism growth of 176% over the past decade compared with 47% in Sligo over the same period. This illustrates what can be done. Year-round opening has played a part in Donegal's success and is one that could easily be replicated in Sligo immediately and at very little cost. The record-breaking visitor number from last year was achieved without capital investment or facility upgrades. None are required to facilitate year-round opening. The heating has to stay on in the visitor centre year-round to prevent damage whether the attraction is open or not. Laying off staff and paying jobseeker's allowance for two and a half months each year rather than wages they want to earn means savings achieved are minimal. The marginal cost of keeping a small core staff in place is low and the benefits to the town centre economy, particularly on Sundays and Mondays when other town attractions are closed, is disproportionately high.

Sligo County Council has indicated its support for year-round opening. Just last month, my Labour Party colleague, Councillor Ann Higgins, was fully backed by all council members in a motion to provide for year-round opening. The local authority has invested in a coach parking bay outside the entrance of the abbey. The abbey features in the county council's new AI itinerary tool. It is the first of its kind in the country. Sligo Abbey features prominently in it. The record number achieved last year was the culmination of ten years' hard work on the part of the heritage professionals on the ground. The overall number has trebled from around 15,000 ten years ago. Will the Minister of State take the steps required to ensure Sligo Abbey can be open for visitors year-round? It is a reasonable request. It is fully backed by Sligo BID, a business community, and the Sligo local authority. It would pay dividends in the cultural, social and economic impact it will have on our town.

I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important issue. I apologise the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, cannot be here. The Senator certainly whetted the appetite for a visit. In her wonderful contribution she illustrated the merits of Sligo Abbey. I thank her for that. It is, as the Senator said, a national monument in State care of significant architectural and cultural importance. She spoke about the fact that it goes back to the 13th century. If one were to analyse it, Sligo Abbey is one of the most complete surviving medieval monastic sites in Ireland and has been in State care since the 19th century. With recent television programmes such as "Nationwide" and others, that monastic life is one we should look at and revisit.

The Office of Public Works has statutory responsibility for its protection, conservation and presentation, ensuring its long-term preservation while facilitating appropriate public access. The key point for us which the Senator referenced in her contribution is that it is a significant site within the OPW's heritage estate and is one of the most visited sites in the north west, with the visitor number going from 27,000 in 2022 to almost 39,000 in 2023 and 34,000 in 2024. We are told the figures for last year exceeded 45,000. A key driver of this are the four guides which the Senator referenced. I thank the OPW guide service in Sligo Abbey and pay tribute to them on the service which benefits all of us. They are a dedicated and highly experienced guiding team who provide an extraordinary amount of expert interpretation, guided tours, educational engagement with schools and tailored experiences which suit group visitors and tour operators. The service is consistent with other guide services across the OPW estate. A strong emphasis is placed by the OPW on storytelling, accessibility and local connection significantly enhancing the visitor experience.

In addition, Sligo Abbey delivers a diverse programme of events significantly enhancing the cultural and community value, working with Sligo County Council and other stakeholders. This includes initiatives during Heritage Week, Culture Night, Christmas programming and a successful St. Patrick's Day event.

The important point is the event attracted almost 700 visitors in a single day, with strong engagement from local families and first-time visitors, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted programming in expanding audiences. As the Senator said, it is the most visited heritage site and it is an important one. The key point for the Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is strong collaboration at local and regional levels. That is paramount to the success of Sligo Abbey. The OPW works with Fáilte Ireland, Sligo County Council and a variety of other stakeholders, tourism bodies, educational establishments and community organisations. The work aligns with the national and regional tourism policy framework, including A New Era for Irish Tourism: National Tourism Policy Statement and the Fáilte Ireland Sligo destination and experience development plan.

Opening arrangements for Sligo Abbey are kept under continuous review, taking account of visitor demand, conservation requirements, health and safety considerations and the sustainable allocation of staffing and financial resources. In this context, the OPW has already taken significant steps to extend access. Last year, the visitor season was extended by six weeks. Building on that progress, this season will run from 14 March to 30 December. That is an increase to a ten-month window for Sligo Abbey and puts it on a par with many of the OPW's larger and more visited heritage sites nationally. The extended season has enabled a stronger focus on the shoulder or off-peak season, where targeted programming has proven effective in attracting domestic tourism and supporting local economic activity.

The seasonal opening schedule is long established across the OPW's suite of heritage estates but the Senator makes a good point. It is based on established patterns of visitation and alignment with tour operators' schedules. I agree with the Senator that the year-round offering should be looked at more because we are looking to attract more home investment in tourist attractions. I will bring her points back to the Minister of State because she has made some good points.

I welcome the Bray School Project primary school group. They are guests of Senator Craughwell. Enjoy your visit to Leinster House. It is tradition in Leinster House that visiting school groups get the day off from homework, so enjoy your evening as well.

I thank the Aire Stáit for his response and support. It is welcome that the season has been extended by six weeks but it leaves the staff in a precarious position. They have to sign on, which makes no sense, or else they have to get new jobs for that season. This could eventually lead to all that experience and knowledge being lost. Sligo Abbey has in the past few years been looking at festivals throughout the year. It has put on a huge amount of stuff around Christmas, working with things like Music Generation Sligo. It has transformed the space. For St. Brigid's Day, there were carvings in the abbey to mark our patron saint. They were going to build things around that but, unfortunately, it will be closed. It is the same for St. Valentine's Day. There is a love knot carving in the abbey. It will be open for St. Patrick's Day.

In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, he has shown commitment to it. It would be great if the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, could bring this suggestion back to him. We see the impact it has had at Donegal Castle. As the Minister of State said, the shoulder season is an important part of the year, particularly for rural towns.

I welcome the students - céad míle fáilte - and thank them for being here. I thank the teachers for being here as well. I hope they enjoy the homework off. The students should get homework off tomorrow night because they are probably not in school to get homework today. Let us give them tomorrow night off as well.

We need to think differently about tourism in the world we live in, with the threats happening geopolitically. We must look at homegrown tourism and the shoulder season. I give the Senator a commitment that I will bring her comments back. The OPW will continue to monitor patterns closely and respond appropriately to demand. It has demonstrated its commitment to supporting local economic activity through initiatives in Sligo and across the wider heritage estate: extended opening periods, enhanced programming and strong stakeholder collaboration.

I thank Sligo County Council for its collaboration on parking and accessibility, along with Fáilte Ireland and local stakeholders, to improve access and the visitor experience in a manner that is sustainable, responsible and fully consistent with the long-term conservation of this important national monument. Conservation and sustainability are two important points.

The Senator made a great point about the love knot on St. Valentine's Day. We could nearly all go to Sligo for St. Valentine's Day next year. We have a Kerryman in the audience and he could do with a bit of love after losing the league final to Donegal.

It is an important contribution the Senator has made. We are committed to heritage and heritage sites. Those of us who, like the Senator, love history and tourism recognise the importance of what she has said. I will take it back for her.