Enda Kenny
Ceist:119 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Finance the involvement of the Department of the Taoiseach in the purchase by the State of the Battle of the Boyne site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13157/02]
Written Answers. - Battle of the Boyne Site.
On 8 January 1998 the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Andrews, announced that he had asked officials to examine "how best to encourage and facilitate an understanding of the Battle of the Boyne and an appreciation of the environment in which it took place". Subsequently an interdepartmental committee, including representatives of the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Taoiseach, the Environment and Local Government and Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, was established. The mandate of the committee was to examine how best to develop the Battle of the Boyne site.
Following a meeting between Mr. Paddy Duffy and Dr. Martin Mansergh, special advisers to the Taoiseach and Mr. Barry Murphy, Chairman of the Office of Public Works in March 1999, directions were given to the Office of Public Works to contact the agent for sale of the Battle of the Boyne site and enter into negotiations; to arrange to have the site surveyed and valued; and to give an estimate of the cost of providing a visitor centre and associated facilities.
A report issued to Dr. Mansergh in July 1999 and was acknowledged by him indicating the agreement of the Taoiseach that the Department of Foreign Affairs, with input from the Office of Public Works, would bring a memorandum to Government in September 1999. There was no further correspondence on the purchase of the site between the Office of Public Works and the Office of the Taoiseach.
Following a Government decision in November 1999 approval was given to the Office of Public Works to purchase and develop the site. The estate was subsequently purchased in August 2000 for a total of £7.85 million or €9.97 million.