Sinn Féin TD for Clare, Violet-Anne Wynne has welcomed the announcement of €2.6 million to keep the Shannon Heritage sites open.

Teachta Wynne said:

“I welcome the announcement by the Minister that he is making €2.6 million available to keep the Shannon Heritage sites open beyond the end of August.

“This announcement is testament to the dedication and hard grafting by the staff at the sites, as well cross-party pressure to keep these keys sites open through the winter months.

“However, I still think there are questions that need to be answered.

“The Shannon Group CEO made it quite clear that they would need at least €3.9 million to keep the sites open until January 2021, so where will the extra €1.3 million come from?

“The Minister said that this funding is conditional on ‘key-changes’ being made within the semi-state body, these conditions need to be clarified.

“Furthermore, there is still no mention of the other 3 sites that have remained closed during this debacle. This is a concerning omission.

“Finally, I would again like to praise the staff of the Heritage sites for the continued pressure they placed on the Government. Their hard work and commitment to their jobs and the local heritage has been impeccable.”