Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Monument sites at Newgrange / Brú na Boinne and Kilmainham Gaol are extremely important in historic terms and, with combined admissions of in excess of 600,000 visitors annually, are among the most popular paid-entry sites operated by the Office of Public Works (Office of Public Works).

There are considerable costs involved in operating visitor sites of this scale with a significant outlay in maintaining the historic structures intact and providing the necessary staffing and other logistical supports necessary to open the sites to visitors on a year round basis. Set against this however, the sites also generate considerable income, not alone through admission charges which accrue directly to the Exchequer, but also through the economic multiplier effect which results from the ancillary spending they engender among tourists visiting the areas where they are located.

The Office of Public Works is currently preparing annual accounts in respect of these sites to analyse the Income and Expenditure position in detail. The full cost and income information for 2016 is not available as yet and it may take some additional time for all the relevant data to be compiled and the accounts finalised. The Office of Public Works is confident, however, that the detailed analysis will reveal that the financial performance of these sites is robust and represents good value to the taxpayer. Where the accounts for these sites have been finalised, the data can be made available to the Deputy.