Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Ms Carberry. It is important to know it is high on the agenda. There are people, especially in west Cork but throughout the State, for whom it is a unique place. I mean no disrespect to the ESB, but the ESB's job is not about protecting The Gearagh, wildlife or biodiversity. It is not that it is going out to damage The Gearagh in any way, shape or form, but it has its own responsibilities. This cannot be left solely in the hands of the ESB. It is not that protections are not there, but there was a call to me for it to be made a national park. I echo those calls and encourage the NPWS to keep doing the work it is doing in order that we can progress it.

A park in my constituency, the Glen, is a hive of activity. What makes it unusual is that it is at the heart of an urban setting. This beautiful park has had very little landscaping done on it. It is in its natural environment. I see park runs every Saturday morning, where people run along the tracks . It is a beautiful amenity in the area. I would like more to be done about the Glen park. Moreover, over recent years, there were a number of fires at the park. What more could be done to prevent those fires and to protect the Glen park?