John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I have a number of questions and want to deal with them as quickly as I can because I must speak in the House.

Deputy John Deasy raised concerns about an issue with regard to Mount Congreve in Waterford and I share his concerns. I have been following this very closely and know negotiations took place between the OPW and the Mount Congreve estate and that a conclusion was to be reached in August or September last year. However, this did not happen and tours of the estate were cancelled. Issues have been raised about the 12 members of staff, particularly the gardeners, who looked after the estate and were responsible for its maintenance. The annual cost of upkeep of the estate is €400,000. It is a significant estate and I would have thought the OPW would have dealt with the matter as quickly as possible to take it in charge in order that it would not run into maintenance issues or that the condition of the garden would not worsen.

This year, the cancellation of the public liability insurance has caused 17 tours of the estate to be cancelled. For what reason did the 2012 negotiations not materialise in an agreement? Is there a basis for an agreement? Is an agreement close that might rescue the situation and deal with the staff who are in limbo?