Thomas Byrne
Ceist:16. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of improvement works at the Tara Hill complex, County Meath. [45282/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 14 November 2019
Ceisteanna (16)
Freagraí ó Béal (3 píosaí cainte)
I assume that when the Deputy refers to improvement works he is referring to the ongoing repair works to the collapsed graveyard wall at St. Patrick’s Church, Tara. This work commenced in May 2015 and is scheduled to continue for at least another year. The work is being undertaken by the OPW’s direct labour force based in Trim, County Meath, in tandem with other maintenance works and tasks at the site. Though the continuing unfinished appearance of the site is not ideal, I can assure the Deputy that the serious structural problems that gave rise to its collapse have been stabilised. The site is subject to seasonal weather and demands, therefore the work will continue into next year.
Other works at the site, which the Minister of State has visited, are badly needed, including car parking facilities to make sure this is one of our top tourism attractions that can handle the numbers of people who want to visit it.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department has met people in Tara and the local authority in recent days and we are finalising the plans. We hope to finalise the project in the very near future, ideally before Christmas. Other works to which the Deputy referred, such as car parking, footpaths and so on, are all being considered as part of the project.