Madam, – Much has been made of the need to cut back on public service pay, with an existing embargo on recruitment / replacement of personnel already in place, but there seems to have been little thought given to the effects on tourism.
In Kinsale, a heritage town of international fame, our museum remains closed at the height of the tourist season because the Kinsale Town Council claims that the retired part-time caretaker cannot be replaced because of this embargo.
As a result, we now have the ridiculous situation where the room where the inquest on the Lusitaniawas held in 1915 as well as a treasure trove of artefacts telling the history of the town remains off limits.
Every morning and afternoon I stand in front of that building telling the tourists of the heritage of our town, while apologising for the closure of our museum. I am lucky to have a unique selection of maps and photographs (even a Lusitaniamedallion!) to illustrate the story of the town, but this is no substitute for those who want to visit the museum itself and the collection.
At a time when tourism is under threat, Minister for the Environment John Gormley, and those responsible for local government expenditure, should be aware that the blanket embargo that prohibits the employment of a person to open the museum should be re-examined. – Yours, etc,