Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 January 2015
190. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will ensure that all gates erected by the Office of Public Works on the public right of way on the banks of the River Loune river at Callinafercy West on the river bank opposite Ballykissan Pier, County Kerry are left unlocked and accessible as per when they were recently erected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49507/14]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) is currently undertaking extensive vegetation maintenance works on OPW flood defences on the lower reaches of the River Maine Catchment Drainage Scheme (CDS). This involves removing all excessive vegetation using mechanical mulchers attached to 360 degree excavators. The works are required to allow the execution of a full condition assessment and level survey of all flood defences under the remit of the OPW on the River Maine CDS.
As part of these maintenance works, rather than temporarily removing fencing to facilitate access of machinery and subsequently re-erecting the fencing, the OPW is also installing gates at each boundary fence encountered along the entire length of river bank, to facilitate a more efficient future maintenance regime. The OPW does not own any of the property along the river bank but is installing these gates with the agreement of the riparian land owners.
The land in question is private property and the OPW has no information on, knowledge of or involvement with rights of way that may exist. The OPW has no role to play with regard to how landowners manage boundaries between properties.
