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Heritage Sites

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 February 2014

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Questions (342)

Brian Walsh

Question:

342. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total annual turnover of each individual Office of Public Works visitor site in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; the net profit returned to the State in respect of each of these sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9200/14]

View answer

Written answers

The OPW Heritage Service is responsible for managing approx 780 National Monuments sites in State care together with a number of other high profile heritage properties which are not themselves designated as National Monuments but which are nevertheless of considerable historic importance. The maintenance and upkeep of the National Monuments is a statutory function of the Commissioners of Public Works under National Monuments legislation dating back to the 1930’s and is undertaken by experienced conservation staff of the OPW and a network of skilled local direct labour in various locations around the country. Non National Monument sites are maintained as part of the OPW’s broader remit for the care and management of the state property portfolio, including this heritage estate. These properties have, in many cases, direct labour force teams located at the site dealing with issues such as grounds management, horticulture / arboriculture, security, event management and a range of other tasks.

In addition to the statutory function relating to the maintenance and upkeep of the National Monuments portfolio, the OPW is also responsible for the presentation of a number of sites to visitors. Currently, full guided visitor services are provided at 70 heritage sites each year; 24 of them presented on a fulltime basis and the remaining 46 on a seasonal basis generally within the period between April and September. Not all of these sites charge admission and a significant number are free entry. In 2013, approx 4.2m visitors were admitted to OPW sites with visitor services and a much greater number, well in excess of 15m for the entire estate, visited the unguided sites within the portfolio. The open public sites in this latter category include such properties as St Stephen's Green and the Phoenix Park in Dublin where there is a considerable public footfall. Some sites (ie: the Dublin Castle complex) have a multi-functional role operating in the case of the castle for example as both a high profile visitor location and a Conference Centre.

Since many of the sites operated by the OPW Heritage Service do not function as commercial concerns as such but rather are operated for the public good as part of the celebration of the nations’ culture and heritage, the question of turnover does not strictly arise. However, for the purposes of answering the Deputy’s Question, I have asked my officials to capture costs relating to those sites where we either maintain a Guide Service operation or alternatively have a workforce located (ie; ground staff, event teams etc) and to set it beside details of gross admission and sales income (where such is actually charged or received) and the overall number of visitors admitted (where such records are maintained on either a paying or non-paying basis). The cost to value equation however is not completely captured by this analysis, since there is a distinct multiplier effect in evidence having regard to both the wider tourism and the general economy which benefits to a significant degree from the availability of this unique tourist and visitor resource. I would also suggest that this analysis does not identify the social and cultural benefits that flow from the presentation of the heritage estate and the very real contribution it makes to our sense of a unique and valuable cultural identity.

The information in relation to the sites treated within the Heritage estate managed and operated by the OPW is enclosed on the tabular statement. Naturally, if the Deputy has a specific enquiry in mind which I have not addressed in this material, I will be happy to respond if he wishes to contact me directly.

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

No

Site Name

Admissions 2011

Admissions 2012

Admissionsns 2013

Gate Income 2011

Gate Income 2012

Gate Income 2013

Pay 2011

Pay 2012

Pay 2013

1

Altamont

47514

44862

53541

1822.00

1890.00

1494.00

172,000.00

173000.00

174,000.00

2

Ardfert Cathedral

5009

6286

6265

8192.09

8029.70

6727.50

69,927.62

50,228.03

44,320.06

3

Athenry Castle

9303

9455

10056

10,805.26

12242.03

12598.05

55,996.12

67,569.49

67,209.28

4

Aughnanure Castle

21825

21645

20222

41076.87

40695.38

39075.10

69,932.77

74,496.59

73,773.48

5

Ballyhack Castle

2464

3007

1782

402.00

809.50

107.50

17,756.66

13,532.28

9,427.61

6

Barryscourt Castle

11226

13021

13177

362.50

528.00

617.50

42,950.59

43,437.69

43,689.51

7

Battle of the Boyne

38846

62004

60796

92695.00

84200.00

90162.00

317,000.00

294,000.00, *VS 13,358.23

321,000.00

8

Blasket Centre

41717

47003

42362

89776.86

103186.50

93204.20

81,000.00

*VS 84,595.92

84,000.00

* VS 89,771.42

86,000.00

*VS 82,574.07

9

Boyle Abbey

6201

9164

5849

339.05

384.70

10010.85

43,542.07

37,326.03

35,600.95

10

Brú na Bóinne (Visitor Centre)

43828

42481

44990

91359.38

90.398.50

92597.66

494,484.04,

488,975.85

479,194.60,

11

Newgrange

132760

132649

133616

645,915.95

645426.50

649916.50

273,699.52

289,107.70

289,214.52

12

Knowth

51962

54350

51138

191058.00

197698.00

185125.50

135,867.16

131,340.22

145,754.77

13

Cahir Castle

59822

62818

67713

127606.18

130402.63

136917.21

245,309.94,

250,857.31,

247,854.43,

14

Carrowmore

23073

26460

27569

43828.00

50790.50

51864.00

91,899.74,

88,152.56

96,597.98,

15

Casino Marino

12047

7444

13511

18414.75

8929.50

14245.00

68,174.27

71,612.12

109,781.15

16

Castletown House & Parklands

24359

36160

244416

30745.25

47476.75

43497.45

199,000.00

285,000.00

313,000.00

17

Céide Fields

25885

25910

25105

59980.21

60605.46

55944.52

151,897.59,

160,193.63,

162,467.33,

18

Charles Fort

67247

66860

69263

168483.93

163614.97

166958.10

210,663.97

204,087.61,

205,354.66

19

Clonmacnoise

134034

138481

139413

505529.60

526361.01

538604.65

311,740.69

292,936.82

297,404.09,

20

Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre

4937

4547

4209

509.49

504.55

294.32

72,302.66

64,104.10

63,430.18

21

Derrynane House

23209

23729

23611

50994.20

50518.50

39908.20

264,000.00 * VS 252.95

232,000.00 * VS 22,068.96

213,000.00 *VS 29,357.09

22

Desmond Castle

9681

9618

9205

17672.50

17360.50

16063.00

48,658.66

54,768.29

50,738.71

23

Desmond Hall

3702

4290

9415

192.70

142.40

233.69

25,337.23

32,121.46

65,276.54,

24

Donegal Castle

36678

41059

39995

87803.52

100267.06

95659.38

126,763.76,

132,473.78,

119,027.51

25

Dublin Castle

141849

157253

103287

442588.00

493740.50

309074.50

2,681,000.00

2,840,000.00

2,612,000.00

26

Dún Aonghasa

107244

108116

105539

190829.50

187736.50

189825.00

215,961.48

218,629

200,424.70,

27

Dungarvan Castle

9983

11015

10805

559.40

519.50

826.00

30,502.54

35,674.25

36,780.96

28

Dunmore Cave

30024

34258

36271

44743.51

46223.50

50943.00

199,940.03,

193,188.76

179,198.36

29

Emo Court

5776

8506

11397

10433.49

11379.26

12232.10

353,000.00

*VS 63,304.31,

352,000.00, *VS 70,191.82

322,000.00

*VS 75,848.30

30

Ennis Friary

0

15747

22272

0

0

0

37,488.84

78,264.94,

68,580.45

31

Farmleigh Estate

315464

375064

435476

0

0

0

1,933,000.00

2,198,000.00

2,166,000.00

32

Ferns Castle

5314

8692

5710

1535.42

1428.16

810.80

49,065.69

50,596.16

40,056.50

33

Gallarus Castle

41024

35267

39658

0

0

0

VS 0

18,176.77

21,654.87

34

Garinish Island

53102

47834

49706

163820.40

146161.40

153170.80

310,000.00

VS 10.64

300,000.00,

*VS 4,379.51

303,000.00

35

Glebe House and Gallery

24321

19658

23480

21717.04

17258.16

7429.72

160,000.00

* VS

75,432.83

161,000.00

*VS 78,956.11

160,000.00

*VS 52,620.22

36

Glendalough Visitor Centre

80726

79983

80922

169540.12

168568.38

171593.30

307,289.12 T&S 10.50

289,201.39 T&S 10.50

272,256.32

37

Hill of Tara

11628

9143

9600

17748.50

15276.50

13869.50

43,402.07

39,129.24,

37,287.76

38

J F Kennedy Arboretum

86007

95215

95841

133329.20

140182.68

136210.48

511,000.00 * VS 54,435.20

550,000.00 *VS 53,760.89

488,000.00

*VS 55,593.97,

39

Jerpoint Abbey

21534

20032

22097

52565.80

49616.99

56722.89

142,236.96

142,815.82

138,446.63

40

Kilkenny Castle

206277

238244

241302

648584.20

755991.00

781365.00

885,000.00

* VS 1,022.52

811,000.00

864,000.00

41

Kilmainham Gaol

300042

310910

326207

1172382.00

1189038.44

1328085.31

571,558.28

533,960.05,

546,553.62

42

Listowel

2182

1986

4068

0

0

0

26,957.61

24,482.62

24,094.21

43

Loughcrew

7491

7224

9226

0

0

0

35,372.77

27,052.93

25,514.29

44

Main Guard

6198

7273

5954

110.30

241.90

494.10

62,327.28

70,875.32

47,581.14

45

Maynooth Castle

9444

13852

23326

356.40

624.50

346.70

35,714.90

22,122.53

24,193.71

46

Mellifont Abbey

14224

12182

8253

19737.28

17913.75

10946.16

60,370.34

54,865.37

34,239.11

47

National Botanic Gardens

501000

544685

550000

93114.30

6580.00

121950.69

2,265,000.00

*VS 172,038.23,

2,207,000.00

*VS 188,137.37

2,110,000.00

*VS 204,188.26

48

Newmills Corn and Flax Mills

3298

3203

3438

354.41

222.40

219.75

31,224.04

30,541.63

22,461.03

49

Ormond Castle

9539

9240

9922

2036.80

1978.80

1912.50

57,552.60

64,411.57

58,985.33,

50

Parke's Castle

13460

14788

16302

20888.30

23249.96

26021.70

65,539.08,

74,474.40,

66,267.84

51

Pearse Museum

16528

36039

32507

876.37

1709.05

2111.96

528,000.00

*VS 135,930.88

490,000.00

*VS 139,568.38

484,000.00

*VS 130,218.69

52

Pearse's Cottage

5609

4524

4615

6749.81

5375.83

5431.69

29,860.88,

25,099.85

34,438.87

53

Phoenix Park Visitor Centre

121487

147539

137755

3746.21

4369.08

3319.10

2,985,000.00

*VS 134,595.34

2,905,000.00, *VS 154,247.25

2,750,000.00

*VS 154,334.67

54

Portumna Castle

14073

11712

10376

22128.38

19152.73

16801.90

99,398.35,

102,344.83

95,980.10

55

Rathfarnham Castle

9506

23832

17830

307.00

2467.15

462.40

122,784.46,

144,074.52

144,212.76

56

Reginald's Tower

29368

29184

26468

33554.20

41519.91

38211.50

121,825.48,

90,867.35

105,972.13

57

Rock of Cashel

233038

240406

255338

904656.46

921926.34

975633.13

496,829.58,

500,561.29

541,271.04,

58

Roscrea Heritage

3402

10623

26541

7370.60

8128.91

8032.81

78,216.21

94,781.59,

134,465.96

59

Ross Castle

25509

69218

77154

76635.29

69240.45

82950.06

223,771.34

202,645.76

201,905.75

60

Scattery Island

1344

1121

2821

538.60

411.50

722.40

16,619.37

15,593.25

13,171.56

*VS: This denotes a supplementary funding source internally within the OPW system. To obtain a total cost for the site in question, this figure should be added to the primary cost also indicated.

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