Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are looking at this issue very closely. As I said, I hope it will be resolved in the not too distant future and that we can work up some flexible arrangement with Dublin City Council. We are in the parks business in the context of our own properties, such as Phoenix Park and St. Stephen's Green, and the many other national historic properties which fall under the responsibility of the Office of Public Works. We are not really in the business of neighbourhood parks or parks which are, generally speaking, not attached to national historic properties or national monuments.

Given the proximity of this very important historic site to the National Museum, we must work up a solution. The Deputy put his finger on it when he said that this is an important historic site which is right beside the museum and that it is also important for tourists as a kind of overspill area. However, people need to feel some semblance of safety walking around it during the day or in the early evening, in particular over the summer. I hope we can work up a flexible arrangement with the city council to resolve this issue. I have given a commitment that it will be in the not too distant future and the Deputy can hold me to that.

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