Vol. 559 No. 5
365 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the status of Ballycroy National Park; when the centre will be built in Ballycroy; the timeframe of when the park will be opened to visitors; the type of infrastructure which is planned for the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26398/02]
Ballycroy National Park, County Mayo, was designated as such with effect from 1 November 1998. It comprises 11,800 hectares of some of the most important blanket bog in Europe in the Owenduff-Nephin Beg area of north west Mayo.
Ballycroy National Park is already accessible to the visitor along the Bangor trail, south of Bangor Erris, as well as from Srahmore points which are to the north and south of the national park, respectively.
Due to the sensitive nature of the landscape of the national park and its designation as a special area of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive 1992, provision was made under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 for my Department to construct a visitor centre in the village of Ballycroy which it is intended will interpret the park and will attract a larger number of visitors to the general area.
This visitor centre project is being developed in consultation with representatives of the various local community organisations in Ballycroy as well as the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council, and plans for the proposed scheme are at an advanced stage. It is the intention that these plans would include sewage works for the village of Ballycroy, as well as access roads and bus and car parking on the visitor centre site itself, to be undertaken by Mayo County Council. A site for the centre has already been purchased by my Department.
I am currently undertaking a review of all capital heritage projects planned for my Department under the national development plan, including that for the Ballycroy National Park, and I hope to be in a position to make a decision on further funding allocations for this programme in the near future.
