asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of each of the ancient monuments under the guardianship of the Commission for Public Works to which there is no legal right of access for the public because of the lack of a public right of way over the land between it and the public road; if it is his policy to take steps to obtain the necessary public rights of access; and if any public money has been expended in recent years on the maintenance of each of the monuments in question in fulfilment of the Commissioners' statutory obligation.
Written Answers. - National Monuments.
106.
The Commissions of Public Works have over 200 National Monuments in their guardianship. In recent years, it has been the practice not to accept guardianship without an accompanying public access route but there are many cases extending back to the last century where this aspect was not considered. Cases still arise from time to time where the Commissioners find it necessary to make Guardianship Orders and where no clearly defined rights of access exist. In many guardianship cases there could well be public rights of way established by the use over a period of time, but the Commissioners would not necessarily be aware of these.
Complaints are received from time to time from members of the public who have had their access to monuments impeded and the Commissioners endeavour to resolve these problems. They are aware of only four cases, namely Dromineen Castle, County Cork, Killeen Church, County Meath, Kiltiernan Dolmen, County Dublin and Rathcoffey Castle, County Kildare, where landowners are currently preventing the public from gaining access to monuments in guardianship. Expenditure on these monuments in the period 1982-87 amounted to £1,200.
The Commissioners must of course carry out their statutory duty in relation to monuments in their care whether or not the public has a right of access.
I would like the general public to have defined and established routes of access to all National Monuments. The National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987, empowers the Commissioners to compulsorily acquire such routes. Obviously they would use their power judiciously and within the financial resources available.