asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if his Department are involved in the scheme to create a heritage park at Tintern, County Wexford, incorporating Tintern Abbey, the old mill, the 11th century churchyard, the battlemented bridge, the "walled-in" garden, parklands, and woodlands; and the approaches that have been made to the Irish Land Commission to obtain the land for amenity purposes.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Heritage Park.
10.
While I am aware that certain proposals along the lines mentioned have been made, my Department have no direct involvement and would not have any responsibility for undertaking such a development. However, in the event of the proposals materialising the Department would be disposed to consider how its adjacent property might be used to enhance the project.
Would the Minister agree that this is an ideal location, being in the centre of a tourist area? Would he agree also that the protection of our heritage is, or at least should be, urgent? Is he also aware that the Land Commission now propose to allocate lands within that area? Therefore, I ask him to consider getting some land from the Land Commission to enhance this fine proposal.
I fully agree with the Deputy that this is an area of high amenity and a lovely part of the country, but in so far as my Department have a function in relation to public recreation and amenity, it extends only to State forest property. At present we have not got property in the location specified in the Deputy's question, therefore we cannot become involved. That is the problem. In relation to the acquisition of property by us, that is concerned strictly with the availability of finance and in present circumstances I would not hold out much hope about being able to acquire part of that property for the purposes the Deputy mentions.
A final supplementary.
I ask the Minister to reconsider his decision because at this stage land is available which within three months' time probably will not be available. In the light of that I ask the Minister to look at the situation again.
The Forest and Wildlife Service normally do not acquire property solely for amenity purposes. Up to now this has not been done and the advice I have is that in future it will not happen either. The only reason for which we would acquire land is afforestation.