Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Leas-Chathaoirleach raised two issues. Regarding the works done in his county under the arterial drainage and flood relief schemes, he is right. The River Morell is close to his area. Total expenditure on that to date is almost €7 million and 30 properties will be protected. The second and other stages in the River Morell have protected another 35 properties. I agree with what he said about arterial drainage. One person’s rewetting is another person’s flooding. That is the reality we will see in many parts of the country if arterial drainage is to be discontinued. I think, off the top of my head, about 500,000 ha of land and about 77,000 properties in towns and villages and farms are being protected by virtue of the works that the OPW does on an annual basis. It is our intention to continue that work - the Act states we are obliged to do so - and to work with local landowners, farmers and the local authorities.

With respect to Castletown House, this is not, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach quite rightly said, a minor blip. This is a hugely important issue for us as well. Castletown is not just a local amenity; it is of national and international significance. It attracts about 1 million visitors a year and has a significant art collection. We have a good relationship with the Castletown Foundation and we have good relationships with our neighbours as well. I speak on behalf of an organisation, outdoor workers and craftspeople who have devoted their lives, in many cases, to the restoration of the house. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach will be aware, I asked for a meeting to be called this Friday without preconditions to involve the Oireachtas Members, the local authority members from the immediate area, An Garda Síochána and Kildare County Council, all of whom I think have an interest in what currently confronts us, to at least start a scoping exercise as to how we move forward. As I set out in correspondence I sent to the Leas-Chathaoirleach last week, I would not like anybody to think they are being blamed for the situation that currently arises. This is nobody’s fault. What happened is quite simple. The State tried to buy the lands that were part of the original Castletown estate and we were outbid. In that process, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach quite rightly said, the licensed agreement entrance point, which was in existence only since 2007, was extinguished to us and our agents. Everybody else can go in except us. That is the landowner’s entitlement. He is entitled to do what he wants with his land. At a previous meeting – I think this was already articulated and it can be fleshed out in more detail on Friday – questions were raised with regard to compulsory purchase powers and powers of compellability around the area that we would be able to acquire and access. Our powers with regard to compulsory purchase acquisition are limited to those that are conferred upon us under the Arterial Drainage Act. Therefore, we do not have powers with regard to what the Leas-Chathaoirleach referred to.