Roger T. Garland
Question:192 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance whether he has reviewed the position regarding the Blasket Visitor Centre since assuming office; and, if so, his conclusions on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dun Chaoin (Kerry) Interpretative Centre.
Roger T. Garland
Question:193 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance whether he has accepted any of the ameliorative measures recommended in the environmental impact study for the Blasket Visitor Centre; and, if so, if he will outline the measures which have been accepted.
Roger T. Garland
Question:194 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the recommendations made by the Kerry County Council to the Office of Public Works regarding section 84 consent of the Blasket Visitor Centre; and the recommendations which have been accepted.
Roger T. Garland
Question:195 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline, in relation to the environmental impact statement regarding the Blasket Visitor Centre, the response, if any, he received from Kerry County Council.
Roger T. Garland
Question:196 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he sought the views of the European Commission in relation to the environmental impact statement concerning the Blasket Visitor Centre; and if he will give details of the submissions he has received from the EC Commission.
Roger T. Garland
Question:197 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if the Government have approved a contract to construct a visitor centre at Dún Chaoin; if his Department have sanctioned this contract; the dates, if any, on which they were approved; and the conditions regarding same.
Roger T. Garland
Question:198 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance whether he has received the wave monitoring study in connection with Dún Chaoin; and, if so, if he will publish it.
Roger T. Garland
Question:199 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the consultations, if any, the Office of Public Works have had with the local residents in Dún Chaoin who are not members of Fondúireacht An Bhlascaoid; and the role which he envisages such residents having in the management of any such interpretative centre at Dún Chaoin.
Roger T. Garland
Question:200 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance the amount of land on the Great Blasket which has been acquired to date by the Office of Public Works; and the percentage of the total it represents.
Roger T. Garland
Question:201 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance the type of boat service he plans between Dún Chaoin and the Blasket Island; and the point at which the boats will depart from on the mainland.
Roger T. Garland
Question:202 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance whether he is in favour of road widening in the Slea Head-Dún Chaoin Valley area; the proposals, if any, the Office of Public Works have made in this regard to Kerry County Council and vice versa if applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Roger T. Garland
Question:203 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance whether the Office of Public Works consulted Bord Fáilte in relation to the siting of any interpretative centre at Dún Chaoin before it purchased any site for such a centre; and, if so, if he will outline the advice which was received from Bord Fáilte.
Roger T. Garland
Question:205 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Finance if he is in favour of building a visitors' centre between the coast road and the sea at Dún Chaoin when local authorities generally discourage any new structures in such areas due to their visual impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 to 203, inclusive, and 205 together.
The contract for the construction of the Great Blasket Island, National Historic Park, Visitor Centre at Dún Chaoin, County Kerry, was placed on 6 February 1991. I am quite satisfied that this was the correct decision.
The consultants did not consider it necessary to recommend many ameliorative measures in their environmental impact statement for the Dun Chaoin Visitor Centre and most of these had already been incorporated in the scheme. The EIS did recommend that the Office of Public Works and the local community explore the possibility of providing parking for coaches within one to two kilometres of the site. This would mean that coaches would drop off passengers at the centre and return after a predetermined period for collection. This proposal was discussed by the Office of Public Works architect with the county engineer who did not favour it. He considered that this would lead to a duplication of any possible visual intrusion and he strongly favoured the retention of the proposed bus-park at the visitor centre site.
The following were the recommendations of Kerry County Council in relation to the new centre at Dun Chaoin following the statutory consultation under S.84 of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1963.
1. The external elevations of the Sli shall be finished in native stone.
2. The roof of the Sli shall be of natural slate. Other roofs of the development shall be finished in lead or other suitable material for low pitched roofs and shall feature seams as shown on the photographs of the model submitted with this consultation.
3. The colour finish of the rendered surfaces of the development shall be neutral in tone and shall be agreed with the planning authority either prior to painting or before the application of any permanently coloured rendering.
4. The layout of the development within the site shall be in accordance with the details indicated on Drawing No. 189062/5.
5. Field patterns shall be retained within the car parking area as shown on the layout plan. Where new fencing is required, it shall be of sod and stone and shall match existing fencing.
6. The car parking area shall be constructed with properly consolidated material and shall be finally surfaced dressed with bitumen and crushed native stone.
7. Pathways shall similarly be finished in crushed stone.
8. The two vehicular access points to the site shall be set out in accordance with the layout plan, with traditional sod and stone fencing and native stone piers.
9. The development shall be provided with a RBC type sewage treatment plant and a tertiary treatment peat filtration bed in accordance with Drawing Nos. 2109/4, 2109/5 and 2109/6. The sewage treatment facility shall be maintained in satisfactory working condition at all times.
10. Screening shall be provided throughout the site particularly in the car and coach parking areas by the liberal planting of native fuchsia hedging to the satisfaction of the planning authority.
All of these recommendations have been accepted.
The elected councillors, together with the senior staff, of Kerry County Council considered the Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed visitor centre at Dun Chaoin and submitted the following comments:
1. A visitor centre incorporating the facilities proposed is entirely appropriate for Dunquin and the decision to establish such a major project here is warmly welcomed.
2. An early examination of and decision on the comments made in response to the EIS is requested so that the project may proceed without any undue delay.
3. Given that the proposed development is located in an area of prime special amenity, the visual impact of the devlopment should be minimised as far as possible and every effort should be made to keep it from being obtrusive on the outstanding landscape quality of the area.
4. Regard should be had for the vernacular architectural tradition to the greatest extent possible and we feel that this can be incorporated to a considerable extent within the existing overall design.
5. Greater use of native stone and slate and perhaps over a greater area of the actual buildings is very strongly recommended. This is in line with previous council suggestions at the earlier consultative planning stage.
6. Greater screening, landscaping and mounding is recommended to reduce the visual impact of the development.
7. The provision and siting of the coach park is seen as requiring particularly sensitive treatment. Further examination and consideration of this aspect of the project is strongly recommended. The recommendation at paragraph 5.8.5 of the EIS is not seen as necessarily being the desirable solution. Council staff would be available for further consultation on this matter.
The views of the EC Commission were not sought in relation to the Environmental Impact Statement nor has any submission from the Commission been received.
The Minister for Finance sanctioned the expenditure on the construction of the visitor centre at Dún Chaoin on 5 February 1992. In view of the fact that the Environmental Impact Statement endorsed the project, specific Government approval was not necessary.
The final report on the wave monitoring study has not yet been received. This will be a technical report and will not be published but will be available for inspection by persons with a legitimate interest in it.
A working party consisting of representatives of the Office of Public Works and of Fondúireacht an Bhlascaoid have been meeting regularly since April 1989. The Fondúireacht contains local residents and in this way there has been constant liaison with the local community.
In addition, there has been a number of meetings with officials of Kerry County Council and with individuals and groups representative of Dún Chaoin.
Two public meetings were held. One on 22 October 1989 when the various site options were set out and the other on 24 November 1990 when a model of the proposed visitor centre was exhibited.
A number of meetings were held with representatives of An Taisce's Kerry branch and formal meetings with Coiste Forbartha Dhún Chaoin were held in February and June 1991. A meeting was also held at the latter date with Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne and with local boatmen.
It is proposed to establish an advisory committee for the management of the new centre. There will be local representation on this committee.
The Office of Public Works own one house and plot of land and a share in the commonage of the Great Blasket Island. This represents approximately 4 per cent of the total.
The question of any road widening in the Slea Head-Dún Chaoin Valley areas is a matter for the local authority. The Office of Public Works have made no proposals to them in this matter.
No decision has yet been made about the provision of new landing facilities on the mainland nor on the provision of any new type of boat service.
No consultation took place with Bord Fáilte regarding the siting of the new visitor centre at Dún Chaoin.
The proposal to build the visitor centre at the chosen site at Dún Chaoin has received the approval of the local authority. I concur with the decision to build the centre there.