Austin Deasy
Question:145 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she plans to develop further national parks and stately homes in the State; and if so, if she will give details of these plans. [19063/01]
Written Answers. - National Parks and Stately Homes.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, in 1998, I formally declared Ireland's sixth national park, comprising 11,000 hectares of land, in north-west Mayo. This land comprises some of the most important Atlantic blanket bog in Europe. The new national park complements very well the five long-standing national parks at Killarney, Wicklow, Glenveagh, Connemara and the Burren.
As a critical input to the development of this new national park, I allocated £3 million under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006, towards the construction of a visitor centre in Ballcroy, County Mayo, to serve the new national park, and a site has recently been purchased for this centre. The proposals for this new visitor centre will now be developed in close consultation with the local community and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, following the lifting of travel restrictions associated with the recent foot and mouth disease precautions, this consultative process will re-commence on 28 June 2001 when officials of my Department will attend a meeting in Lagduff of the working group for the new national park in North West Mayo. The working group, which was established by me to pioneer the venture, also comprises representatives of local community groups, Mayo County Council and the Office of Public Works. It is the intention that the working group will now proceed to progress this important project and, once the brief for the new visitor centre has been agreed, the normal process of design, planning permission, tendering and construction will follow.
I have no plans to develop any other national parks at present, but will continue my policy to conserve and protect the natural heritage and also to enhance the visitor facilities at the State's six national parks in the years ahead.
On the subject of stately homes, I should inform the Deputy that my brief and that of my Department is confined to management of historic properties in State care which are recognised as being of national or international significance from a heritage viewpoint. The current portfolio of historic properties includes those as diverse as Castletown House, Kilkenny Castle, Emo Court, Derrynane House and Rathfarnham Castle. There is an ongoing programme of maintenance and restoration works at these properties, and the National Development Plan, 2000-2006, provides for the following major projects: Castletown House, County Kildare – £7.1 million; Fota House, County Cork – £0.5 million; St. Enda's Rathfarnham – £1 million; Kilmacurragh, County Wicklow – £0.5 million.
In addition, extensive restoration works were recently completed at Kilkenny Castle and Rathfarnham Castle under the EU operational Programme for Tourism.
It has to be stated that, given the existing extensive range of heritage properties already in the portfolio of my Department, and the scarce resources available to manage that portfolio, the ability of my Department to take on responsibility for additional heritage properties is extremely limited. However, in exceptional circumstances, consideration is given to acquiring additional properties, having regard to their national or international significance and considering their fit within the current extensive portfolio of properties.