Vol. 552 No. 1
505 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when she intends to provide adequate fencing to control vandalism and trespass on property adjoining the Lucan Demesne, Lucan, County Dublin (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11364/02]
The role of my Department as regards the Lucan Demesne has been confined largely to acquiring the property and transferring individual parcels of land to each of the three local authorities concerned. It is intended that a Liffey valley park be established, to be owned and managed on a co-operative basis by the three authorities on the basis of an agreed management plan. My Department secured development funding for the park amounting to €4.762 million over a five year period to facilitate this.
The Lucan Demesne was acquired by my Department in the summer of 1996. While execution of legal formalities by two of the local authorities is outstanding, ongoing management and maintenance of the demesne is dealt with directly by each of the local authorities involved. South Dublin County Council signed up to the legal transfer of the lands at an early date but, as advised previously, both Fingal County Council and Kildare County Council have not honoured the commitments made in 1996. The management plan for the park was agreed by the three local authorities and my Department in December 1998 but until the legal transfer of the lands has been completed by all parties, it is not possible to commence the release of funding as provided for under the management plan. The specific query raised by the Deputy refers to the area of the park managed by Fingal County Council and consequently the matter should be taken up directly with that authority.
