Austin Currie
Ceist:350 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands when Lucan demesne will be open to the public; and the arrangements for development and maintenance of the demesne. [24827/99]
Written Answers. - Lucan Demesne.
The objective in the State acquiring lands at Lucan Demesne was to establish a Liffey Valley park which would be co-operatively managed and maintained by the three local authorities concerned – Fingal, Kildare and South County Dublin – on the basis of an agreed management plan. A revised draft management plan was agreed by the local authorities and approved by my Department in early December 1998. South County Dublin has already executed the legal transfer documents.
In response to a request from Kildare County Council agreement has been reached on an amendment to the contract documents transferring ownership of part of the demesne to that local authority. Completion of the legal formalities in this regard is currently in train. While Fingal County Council has had legitimate concerns about entering into a contract for that part of the demesne in Fingal, I understand that these concerns have now been addressed and that the way is clear for Fingal also to complete the legal formalities.
Once the legal formalities have been attended to, it is then the responsibility of the three local authorities concerned to establish, manage and maintain the Liffey Valley park thereafter, and to agree on an opening date for public access to the park.
I should stress that the contract documents and management plan are designed to protect the interests of all parties involved and also to provide the flexibility for the development of a co-ordinated management strategy for the Liffey Valley Park for the benefit of the local community and the public at large.