Vol. 467 No. 1
165 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht whether the area referred to in his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 109 on 15 May 1996 was in fact that section between the new local authority houses and Spenser Dock Bridge which remains directly open to the dangerous dock area; and if so, the plans, if any, he has to rectify this problem. [12735/96]
The area referred to in my reply of 15 May 1996 included the section between the new local authority houses and Spenser Dock Bridge. The property in this area, apart from a strip approximately 1m wide along the edge of the canal, was retained by CIE when the canals were transferred to the Waterways Service and remains in the ownership of CIE.
While my policy, as previously outlined, is to try to open up the waterways, including the Royal Canal, for recreational use by the public to the maximum extent possible, I accept that the general condition of this particular area and the very limited space that is owned by my Department make the area unsuitable for general recreational use at present. I have, therefore, asked the waterways service to bring the Deputy's concern about access to the area to the attention of CIE.
