Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
201. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will liaise with his counterparts in OPW, Arts, Finance and Public Expenditure to secure the lands adjoining Castletown House for the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41226/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra202. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will liaise with his counterparts in OPW, Finance and Heritage to secure for the public, the cultural inheritance that are the Castletown Lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41227/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra209. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will clarify whether the OPW has entered into a mediation process with landowners at Castletown House and boundary lands. [41362/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 201, 202 and 209 together.
The Office of Public Works has entered into a process of constructive dialogue with the owners of the Castletown lands in the form of commercial negotiations with the intention of arriving at an outcome that is in the public interest.
It should be noted that it has long been the policy of the OPW to seek to reunite the historic Castletown Estate. In 1994, when the Office of Public Works took responsibility for Castletown House and Estate there was an initial landholding of only 13 acres of land. In 1997, one hundred acres south of the house was acquired. The farmyard adjacent to the house was acquired in 2001. In 2006, lands associated with the Batty Langley Lodge were acquired with former Coillte lands to the north and east of the House acquired in 2007. Since 2008, the OPW has reassembled 227 acres of the original 580 acres of land which formed the historic demesne.
As part of the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown demesne lands with the house and lands in the care of the State, the OPW has sought on several occasions to purchase the lands in question from Janus Securities including when the lands were offered for sale on the open market in 2022. However, despite the very best efforts of the OPW, the State was out-bid in the open market process and ultimately, the lands were acquired by a private purchaser.
As Minister, I have spoken with my government colleagues on this issue and my officials in OPW have engaged with the relevant departments. The OPW remains committed to acquiring lands that formed part of the original estate, where they became available. This objective will be pursued in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.
