Vol. 520 No. 2
32 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the steps being taken to restore the land at Mullaghmore, County Clare, to its original state in the light of her decision not to challenge the decision of An Bord Pleanála to refuse permission for the development of a visitors centre there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15307/00]
Since the decision of An Bord Pleanála was delivered refusing planning permission for an entry point to the Burren National Park, I and my officials have, with our legal and planning advisers, carefully considered all aspects of the matter. I accept that there is an obligation on the State, arising from decisions of the High Court and the Supreme Court in this case, to restore the land in question to its condition prior to the commencement of the development, in so far as this is practicable. Given the unique characteristics of the area, however, I consider that it would be highly desirable to carry out an environmental appraisal of the likely impacts of the reinstatement works on the environment at the site location to ensure that no significant adverse effect on the environment will result from the remedial works.
I have, accordingly, asked the Commissioners of Public Works to prepare a detailed reinstatement plan for the site. When this is to hand, I will arrange for an appropriate technical assessment of environmental impact, following which the matter will be referred back to the High Court in due course. I would expect that, given the considerable work involved, these assessments will not be completed for some time.
