Vol. 541 No. 4
373 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on the visitor facilities theme project following her official visit to Maynooth Castle, County Kildare, for the opening of this project; her further views on whether phase 2 of the project should be approved forthwith; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23162/01]
Following the completion of the adaptation and conservation work to the ground floor and the provision of access to the first floor, Maynooth Castle was opened to the public on 27 July last. As I indicated when I visited the site on 11 July, with the completion of this work, Maynooth Castle is already contributing to tourism in the area. Work on the exhibition to be installed in the castle is on target for completion and installation in the 2002 season.
Once the installation of the exhibition is complete, my Department will then be in a position to assess the needs of the site in terms of visitor numbers and facilities and make a determination as to the level, if any, of additional works required to ensure its successful operation.
