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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 1

Written Answers. - National Parks.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

83 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the basis for the transfer of lands in the nature reserve at Glen of the Downs, County Wicklow, to the ownership of Wicklow County Council. [10384/00]

John Gormley

Question:

96 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the basis for closing public lands at Glen of the Downs, County Wicklow, to access by members of the public. [10383/00]

Tógfaidh mé Uimhreacha 83 agus 96 le chéile.

In 1990 Wicklow County Council proposed to widen the N11 primary route through the Glen of the Downs so that the traffic on this section of roadway could be accommodated safely. Wicklow County Council report that an average of 25,000 cars used the road in recent years, and that section of the N11 has a tragic history of more than 100 accidents resulting in the deaths of five people.

When Wicklow County Council consulted the then National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Office of Public Works, now part of Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, the Office of Public Works made known their concerns about the potential impacts of the originally proposed road scheme on the Glen of the Downs nature reserve. Wicklow County Council revised their plans several times so as to lessen the impact of the road on the site by realigning it and reducing the width of the road. The courts have found that the environmental impact assessment procedure and the consultation procedure required by section 12 of the Wildlife Act were correctly followed. Following extensive consultation and agreement on mitigation measures the Office of Public Works agreed to the scheme proceeding.
Some 0.68 hectares of land, 1.5% of the area of the nature reserve has been taken and less than 450 trees including scrub and exotic species from an estimated 80,000 in the Glen are being felled to allow for the road development. In return the county council will give at least 0.74 hectares to the nature reserve as well as planting 6,000 native oak trees grown from seeds collected in the Glen of the Downs. Some 87% of the improved road through the glen will be built over existing or former road surfaces.
Trespassers have caused damage to the nature reserve by digging tunnels and erecting treehouses on Dúchas land which pose a serious risk to the safety of Dúchas staff and visitors to the Glen. It is for these reasons that the nature reserve has been closed to the public since December 1999. As trespassers have refused to leave the nature reserve legal proceedings have been initiated.
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