Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 July 2013
256. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to incorporate Kilmainham courthouse into the Kilmainham jail experience; and if he will provide a timeline for the incorporation of the courthouse. [36406/13]
View answerKilmainham Gaol is a National Monument site in the care of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and, with 310,910 visitors in 2012, is one of the most popular and heavily-visited tourist sites in Ireland. The OPW's role at Kilmainham is to maintain the physical fabric of the site and present it to the public through a dedicated Guide Service, explaining its 217 year history and its role in some of the key events in the formation of the State. The site opens to the public on a fulltime basis 362 days per year, attracting significant numbers of visitors and sustaining a strong income profile. As well as its tourist and heritage attractiveness to visitors, it is also the preferred chosen venue for frequent formal events and functions of social, cultural, artistic, civic and diplomatic significance. However, its capacity to deal with an ever-increasing demand is severely limited currently by a number of key factors, most notably the physical limitations of the building, which was obviously constructed with a different purpose in mind and which is not ideally configured to sustain an exponentially increasing volume of visitors. It is expected that this challenge will be further emphasised with an expected increase in visitor numbers in the period ahead, particularly in the context of the interest generated by the various commemoration events over the next few years. At current levels, the existing Gaol building is at absolute capacity and cannot sustain further large scale increases in visitor traffic without significant risk to the fabric of the Monument and to the comfort and safety of visitors. The OPW have been working on a suitable proposal to enhance the visitor experience at the Gaol. Discussions have taken place with a range of bodies with a view to advance a project in tandem with the 1916 centenary celebrations.
