Ross hasn’t visited his Kerry office

IN the nine months since he took office Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross has never visited his department’s offices in Killarney.

Recently Labour TD Alan Kelly asked Minister Ross – who has been criticised for his alleged focus on Dublin and a lack of interest in the tourism and sport - how many times he had visited his departmental offices in Kerry.

In a written reply, Ross said that he had “not yet had the opportunity to visit my department’s offices in Killarney but I am planning to do so in 2017”.

While Junior Minister Patrick O’Donovan is in charge of tourism and sport, his powers are limited and Minister Ross must sign of an all major sport and tourism policies. About 130 people are employed at the €19.5 million complex.

IN the nine months since he took office Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross has never once visited his department’s offices in Killarney.

Built at a cost of €19.5 million the Killarney complex – which houses around 130 civil servants – deals with almost all of the department’s work relating to tourism and sport . The department’s Dublin offices largely focus on transport policy.

Since taking office the Minister Ross – an Independent Dublin South TD – has been regularly accused of failing to take responsibility for the tourism and sport aspects of his portfolio.

He has also been criticised for focusing too much attention on the capital to the detriment of regional issues.

Recently Labour TD and former Environment Minister Alan Kelly asked Minister Ross for details on how many times he had visited his departmental offices in Kerry.

In reply Ross said that he had “not yet had the opportunity to visit my department’s offices in Killarney but I am planning to do so in 2017”.

Minister Ross added that Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan who has “responsibility for tourism and sport functions” had visited Killarney during 2016, though he did not specify how often.

While Minister O’Donovan is nominally in charge of tourism and sport as a junior minister he has extremely limited legislative powers.

He does not attend cabinet and it is Shane Ross’s responsibility – as the senior minister in the department – to sign off on all major sport and tourism policies and recommendations.

Details of when Minister Ross plans to visit Killarney remain unclear.