Vol. 523 No. 5
250 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the plans she has to acquire any further areas as national parks or buildings and gardens which may now be offered for sale; the location of these properties; and the further plans she has to acquire such properties. [21516/00]
I have no plans to acquire any new national parks. If land is offered for sale within published target areas for existing national parks or adjacent to national parks, I will consider acquisition. I have no plans at present to acquire any further gardens.
My Department manages in the region of 740 national monuments and historic properties and funding is fully committed to caring for these sites. In these circumstances it is not proposed, in general, to acquire any further properties which might be offered for sale. There may be exceptional circumstances where acquisition will be pursued, for example, to consolidate an existing holding. It is not possible to quantify such cases.
