Deputy John O'Leary has been given permission to raise on the Adjournment the decision to close Skelling Rock in south-west Kerry.
Adjournment Debate. - Closure of Skelling Rock.
I thank you for the opportunity to raise the proposed closure of the Skelling Rock during the coming tourist season. Yesterday I tabled a Private Notice Question to the Minister for Finance asking if he was aware of the serious unrest and grave concern among the tourism interests in south-west Kerry as a result of the decision to close the Skellig Rock to the public during the 1986 tourist season and if he would make a statement on the matter, having regard to the loss of employment and income to the area as a result of this proposal.
The proposal to close the Skellig Rock came as a shock to tourism interests in south-west Kerry, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry. Sceiling Mhichíl is an area of tremendous interest to tourists who visit this part of south Kerry and is part of the itinerary of many day trips around the Ring of Kerry. Approximately 15 boatmen operate to and from the rock during a ten-week period each summer. They operate from as far away as Sneem, Caherdaniel, Portmagee, Valentia Island Caherciveen and other places. It is estimated that an average of 5,000 tourists visit Skellig Rock each year, although weather conditions are an important factor. The overall spin-off to the south-west Kerry area is approximately £250,000, a sizeable sum to this disadvantaged, severally handicapped area.
The boatmen and the tourism interests agree fully that restoration and conservation work is necessary but they do not consider that the work will be fully completed within one year. One of their great fears is that it will take at least two or three years to carry out the necessary works, having regard to the record of the OPW on other projects, such as Ross Castle where work started a number of years ago. It is estimated that the work there will not be completed until 1991. People are very much aware of this situation in south-west Kerry.
The Minister of State should consider an arrangement with the boatmen which would facilitate the landing of tourists on the rock for a fixed period of approximately three hours per day during the tourist season. Permission should be granted for landings between 12 noon and 3 p.m. or between 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. daily. This would allow restoration and conservation work to take place and at the same time allow the boatmen and tourists to visit the rock. The OPW employees could work from 8.30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 3.30 p.m. until late in the summer evenings. The payment of overtime should be considered because in my opinion overtime will be necessary if the programme is to be completed in one year as promised by the OPW.
I appeal to the Minister of State to take into account the loss of jobs and the financial setback to this community in times when things are not going well in the local tourist industry due to the lack of a car ferry service into Cork and other reasons. I would ask her to consider the proposals I have made.
The Commissioners of public Works decided, in view of the dangerous state of parts of the monastic settlement on Skellig Michael, to recommend to the Commissioners of Irish Lights who own the island, that it be closed to the public this year.
In arriving at this decision, the Commissioners of Public Works were deeply conscious of the effect it would have on tourism in the area but, having carefully weighed up all of the factors involved, they felt that they had no alternative in order to ensure the protection of the public from injury, or possibly death, as well as the conservation of this very unique national monument for posterity.
Works have been in progress on the Skellig Rock since 1978. Early works concentrated mainly on repairs to the 600 or so steps giving access to the monastic enclosure and, in more recent times, on the monastic structure itself. The time has now come to tackle repair works in two areas, namely at the entrance to the monastery itself and to the retaining wall at the small oratory.
Because of difficulties of access, works on the rock have to be confined to three of four months of the summer period, roughly May to September. There was, therefore no possibility of tackling the work outside the tourist season. Because of the nature of the Skellig Rock in terms of size and structure, it would not be possible to flood the area with workers in order to reduce the time-scale for execution of the works. Neither would it be possible to take any diversionary action which would permit access for visitors, for the following reasons. The left hand wall at the entrance to the monastery is collapsing and will have to be removed under archaeological supervision. Until the archaeological investigation is completed it will not be possible to say whether or not it will be rebuilt in its present position as it is not clear when it was erected. As this entrance, at the top of the 600 or so steps I have mentioned, is the only point of entry to the monastic enclosure, it would not be possible to give visitors access through it while either the archaeological investigation or the conservation works are in progress.
The other job requiring immediate attention is the repair to the retaining wall at the small oratory. This is the most hazardous aspect of the conservation programme undertaken to date because of the dangerous condition of the wall, which is bulging outwards, and has large stones missing from its base, and because it is located at the top of a cliff face which is directly above the landing area for visitors, some 600 feet below. This wall is in an extremely dangerous state and indeed the particular area around it has been closed to visitors for quite some time. The base of the wall has visibly deteriorated over the last few years and there is a danger of collapse, causing not only loss of a valuable part of our heritage but also danger to life itself to anyone in the area below.
The proposal is to arrest any further movement of the wall by providing a reinforced support at its base. Prior to this an archaeological excavation in the vicinity will have to be carried out. A safe working platform will have to be built with strong netting surrounding it from which the archaeologists and conservation workers can operate. Working in this area will be extremely hazardous and slow and, as can be appreciated, would pose great danger for the boat landing area, 600 feet below.
While every precaution will be taken to ensure that there are no rock falls, the only certain way of avoiding possible injury or loss of life is to close the island. The possibility of constructing a canopy below the wall and over the landing area was considered but it was felt that the danger posed is so great that no guarantee could be given that the canopy could support a rock fall, the stones of the wall being large.
In addition to all of these points, I would have to point out that the whole of the usable areas of the island will be used to store materials and water for the works and for the personnel engaged on the work. In reality the whole of the island will be what could be termed a building site. It would be quite impossible to carry out the archaeological investigations, conservation and repair works and at the same time permit visitors in, around and through those areas. The access allowed in previous years, even though works were being carried out, would just not be possible this year.
I and the Commissioners of Public Works regret that it has been necessary for them to take the step of recommending closure of access to the island to enable them to carry out these works. They have done so most reluctantly but the essential repair works I have spoken about must be tackled and the only way of doing so and ensuring that the public will not be put at risk because of them is to close the island. I regret very much the inconvenience that will be caused to tourist interests in the area this year.
By their nature the works will be difficult, hazardous and slow. Nevertheless, I am confident that sufficient progress will be made with them this year to allow for visitors to be again admitted to Skellig Michael in 1987. Because of my confidence in this I would be reluctant to suggest or even to discuss the possibility of opening the island, if that were feasible and it is not, for any number of hours per day. Our intention is to proceed with the work as fast as possible so as to ensure that the island will open for tourism interests well before next season.
Finally, I should like to say that south-west Kerry is an area of great natural beauty with many attractions for visitors including, if I may say so, the National Historic Park at Derrynane which is maintained by the Office of Public Works to a very high standard and where guides will be on hand throughout the summer to help tourists to enjoy their visits there. I know that the closing of the Skellig Rock will present difficulties for those involved in the tourist business but I am very confident that the Kerry people will overcome this temporary setback and will understand that it is in their long term interest that Skellig Michael should be cared for in a manner befitting its unique importance.
Both the Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism, Deputy Moynihan, and Deputy Begley have had long discussions with me on all of this area and have kept me informed of the position from the Kerry point of view. I appreciate the difficulties that are being caused by this decision but I expect that Deputy O'Leary will appreciate the reasons for the closure.
May I ask a question?
The Deputy may ask one question only.
Can the Minister give an assurance that the work will be completed in time for the commencement of the 1987 tourist season?
That is my intention.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.15 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 April 1986.