asked the Minister for Finance the date on which he received an application from Dublin County Council to use portion of the lands in the possession of his Department for an itinerants' encampment site; and when he expects to make a decision on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Itinerants' Encampment Site.
10.
On 22nd April, 1965 an application was received by the Commissioners of Public Works from the Dublin County Council for the sale to the council of a field at Dunsink for the purpose of an itinerants' encampment.
The field in question, which contains slightly less than 4 acres, is part of the Dunsink Observatory property which was purchased by the State in 1946. The greater part of the property, including the Observatory buildings, is leased to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. When the lease was being arranged, the Institute sought and were given an assurance that no portion of the remainder of the property would be disposed of without prior consultation with them. The Institute have been consulted accordingly and they are strongly of opinion that the entire property should be kept intact because of the necessity to maintain an open area around the Observatory for observation purposes and to provide for future developments, not only of the Observatory itself, but of the School of Cosmic Physics as a whole.
Having regard to the views of the Institute, it is obviously difficult to accede to the county council's request. I am having the matter considered further, but at the moment I am unable to say when a final decision will be made.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that all these considerations have been borne in mind by the county manager, the county engineer and the county medical officer, and that they strongly recommended this place as a suitable site, in all the circumstances, for an itinerants' camp?
On the other hand the Observatory's point of view must be taken into account.
Has anybody any interest in the problem of the itinerants in this country at all? I am beginning to think the Government have no interest in it.