Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013
498. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the work that has been carried out on national monuments in Connacht and in County Clare in the years 2010, 2011 and 2012, including ongoing maintenance and conservation projects; the amount spent on each project; the purpose, extent and other details in relation to the work; the work that he proposes to carry out in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16500/13]
View answerOPW is responsible for the care and maintenance of sites in approx 189 locations in Connaught (Counties Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo and Galway) and 37 locations in Co. Clare. A full schedule of the national Monuments in State care, including these counties, is available on website www.archaeology.ie. The Monuments for these Counties are managed by a direct labour force headquartered at 2 separate Works Depots, in Athenry, Co. Galway and Dromahaire, Co. Leitrim.
Works undertaken at these Monument sites fall into 2 broad categories:
- Ongoing light maintenance and small works undertaken by OPW's own direct labour force using materials and supplies taken from general stock on hands:
- Significant larger conservation projects undertaken over a period of years which have supplies of materials specifically provided.
Financial records of expenditures in relation to the management of the National Monuments portfolio, including ongoing maintenance works and other overheads such as vehicle fleet costs, consumables, caretaking and other inputs are kept globally only at a Depot level and are not broken down by National Monument site location. The cost of maintenance of the portfolio in these counties in the years in question is therefore not available on an individual County basis but is subsumed into the overall costs of the OPW National Monuments Service.
In respect of the second category (larger conservation projects), costs are recorded separately on a site location basis and include the following elements:
- Labour costs (OPW Direct Labour force);
- Materials costs;
- Services (outsourced professional inputs eg external specialist contractors, archaeological excavation, photography, technical surveys etc)
The following is the schedule of works carried out by OPW in the relevant Counties in the years in question:
|
Year |
Site |
Work |
Amount € |
|
2010 |
Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon |
Ongoing conservation works |
360,043.56 |
|
Ennis Friary, Ennis, Co. Clare |
Commencement of tomb conservation and presentation works |
325,122.33 |
|
|
Scattery Island, Co. Clare |
commencement of conservation works programme to monastic Monuments |
83,744.47 |
|
|
2011 |
Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon |
Ongoing conservation works |
333,659.41 |
|
Ennis Friary, Ennis, Co. Clare |
Continuation of conservation work to tomb |
378,557.02 |
|
|
Scattery Island, Co. Clare |
Ongoing conservation work |
76,788.68 |
|
|
2012 |
Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon |
Completion of North Aisle Wall conservation project |
217,149.11 |
|
Bunadobber Mill, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo |
Commencement of Mill Machinery repair project |
18,001.05 |
|
|
Ennis Friary, Ennis, Co. Clare |
Continuation of conservation work to tomb |
373,739.41 |
|
|
Scattery Island, Co. Clare |
Ongoing conservation works to monuments , including commencement of works to St.Senan`s church |
132,239.78 |
In respect of future works planned, the following projects are proposed for 2013 in the counties in question:
|
Site |
Work |
|
Boyle Abbey, Co. Roscommon |
Completion of miscellaneous minor works relative to the conservation project and provision of new Guide / Visitor service booth. |
|
Rockfleet Castle, Co. Mayo |
Access stair / safety works to first floor to facilitate reopening to the public |
|
Bunadobber Mill, Co. Mayo |
Continuation of project to repair Mill machinery. |
|
Portumna Castle, Co. Galway |
Reroofing of outbuildings |
|
Ennis Friary, Co. Clare |
Completion of conservation work to tomb |
|
Scattery Island, Co. Clare |
Ongoing works at St. Senan's Church |
