I would like to share my time with Deputy Foley.
Adjournment Debate. - Disposal of State Property.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I am making a special appeal to the Minister to withdraw from public auction on 10 June Agriculture House, Oakpark, Tralee, County Kerry. If this building passes out of public ownership it will be lost forever to the people of Kerry and Ireland. In reply to a Dáil question on Tuesday, 25 May, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry stated that he did not accept that the architectural importance of the building necessitated its retention in public ownership. I am afraid the Minister has been poorly advised on this matter. Agriculture House is a building of major historical and architectural significance. I would rate it in the same category as Muckross House and Derrynane House, as a building of major significance. Unfortunately, very few buildings of its quality survived our War of Independence. We lost some of our most important potential assets during that period which if they had survived would enhance tourism considerably in the country.
I wish to outline the history of Agriculture House. The house was built by the Evans brothers of Cork at the cost of £34,000 and an Italian firm were engaged to do the painting and decorating for a further £6,000. The house was completed in 1857 and Mr. Morris Sands, the owner, occupied the house at that time. The Sands mansion was built in a fine Victorian gothic style. The main house is of red brick and limestone facing. The workmanship and materials throughout are of the finest quality. The entrance lobby, great hall, drawing room, morning room and stairs are especially fine. In 1922 Oakpark demense was divided and sold. Bishop Charles O'Sullivan, the then bishop of Kerry, purchased the mansion, woods, lawns and entrance. The property was to be used as a general novitiate for the Presentation Order and it was purchased for £3,500. This house and surrounds were used as a novitiate for the Presentation nuns in Kerry from 1924 to 1974. In 1974 Tralee Urban District Council purchased the property and the following year sold the house to the Kerry County Committee of Agriculture.
The house is now up for public auction on 10 June. The property will go into private ownership on that date unless the Minister intervenes. A number of groups in Tralee are anxious to take over the building for different purposes.
I received a circular from the No Opportunities for Women, NOW, group which states:
As a member of the NOW group, I feel that this is a unique opportunity to acquire and develop Oakpark House and to honour the heritage of this gothic style house as a community project.
We as a group envisage that this initiative would be economically viable with creative opportunities for community development.
We would therefore like you to intervene to stay the auction date.
I appeal to the Minister to do this.
I wish to thank Deputy Deenihan for sharing his time in respect of this important local issue. I support the case made by Deputy Deenihan in respect of Agriculture House, Oakpark, Tralee, which the present owners, Teagasc, have decided to sell by public auction. This beautiful building has tremendous architectural value and it is imperative that it is retained in public ownership. Already many organisations and individuals in Tralee and Kerry have shown great interest in this building. The local urban district council, under chairperson Councillor Mary O'Halloran, intends calling a meeting of all interested groups with a view to drawing up a plan of campaign to raise the necessary funding to acquire this property and retain it in public ownership. By doing this they hope to blend it in with the other successful developments in Tralee, for example, the Geraldine experience, the windmill and, the steam train. For this reason I appeal to the Minister to adjourn the auction for three months and during that time a steering committee representing the cross section of individuals in Tralee and Kerry would be in a position to negotiate the satisfactory purchase of Agriculture House from Teagasc.
I am sure the Minister appreciates that it is important to maintain our cultural and architectural heritage. For this reason I appeal to the Minister to accede to the request Deputy Deenihan and I have made. If the Minister is not satisfied, through I believe he will be, the auction can then proceed after three months.
The building at Oakpark, Tralee, which is the property of Teagasc, is now too big for that organisation's requirements. Teagasc has experienced some financial constraints in recent years. In order to provide for the efficient and effective operation of the body and its long term financial viability an efficiency plan was prepared by Teagasc in consultation with the Department. The plan had a number of elements including the utilisation of the resources, physical and human, in the most cost effective manner possible.
In addition the disposal of assets is essential in order to provide resources for necessary capital expenditure required by Teagasc in order to fulfil its mandate. Under the legislation Teagasc is required to give priority to education and food work. The importance of food research in terms of the development of the industry cannot be over emphasised. In this context the retention of unnecessary assets of buildings cannot be justified.
I am fully conscious of the need to maintain our cultural and architectural heritage. But Teagasc was established for an entirely different purpose, namely, to provide advisory, educational and research services for the agriculture and food industries. The preservation of architectural heritage must be done through different agencies. There is of course no need whatever for State ownership to protect such heritage.
I appreciate the Deputy's concern. The Tánaiste has also expressed his concern in relation to the matter and I have noted the views expressed by Deputies on both sides of the House about giving time to the local committee to consider its position in respect of its likely purchase of the property. I will convey these views to Teagasc in the light of the timescale referred to by both Deputies.
Deputy Deenihan referred to the danger or threat to the building. As the Deputy is aware any alteration will require the permission of Kerry County Council, the relevant statutory authority.