Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try not to cause you any stress. I thank the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, for taking the Johnstown Castle Agricultural College (Amendment) Bill in the House today.

Johnstown Castle and its estate lie just outside Wexford town and are steeped in Irish history. The estate's ownership has changed hands a number of times, involving such historic families as the Esmondes, a Norman family that settled in Wexford in the 1170s, and later the Grogan family, which owned the land from 1692. The estate and the many castles that have stood there played a role in many of the major events in our history, including the Norman invasion of Ireland, the Cromwellian purge of Catholic landholders and the 1798 rebellion, before being given to the State in 1945. It was gifted by the family under the Johnstown Castle Agricultural College Act 1945 on condition that it would be used exclusively as a lay agricultural college. In the intervening years, the strictness of the original Act has needed to be amended and modernised. This Bill is the next step in that process. It will allow this wonderful gift to the people of Wexford and Ireland to be used for tourism and for the benefit of the wider public and local community while continuing to honour the family's original intentions.

The centrepiece of the Johnstown estate is the castle surrounded by gardens and a lake. While including older buildings, the castle is very much a Victorian image of a romantic medieval castle complete with towers and built to fit in with the surrounding gardens. The style of architecture and beautiful setting have made it a popular location for wedding photographs. As the Minister, Deputy Coveney, pointed out, up to 35,000 people visit it annually. Johnstown Castle and the surrounding gardens are no longer used for agricultural education or research purposes. That work continues to take place elsewhere on the estate.

There exists an opportunity to develop this unique historic building and its surrounding gardens into a major visitor attraction in County Wexford and the south east. Such a development will also fit in with the Irish Agricultural Museum, which is housed in some of the buildings of the Johnstown estate. The museum has developed into one of the "must see" tourist destinations in Ireland since its establishment. The work of the volunteers who have turned a personal interest and hobby into a first class agricultural museum, one that includes implements previously used in agriculture, cannot be praised enough. I have no doubt but that the Irish Agricultural Museum and the development planned at Johnstown Castle will benefit each other greatly.

The first aspect of this Bill will allow Teagasc to develop and operate the castle and gardens for heritage, tourism, amenity or recreational purposes. Teagasc's staff have great plans for the castle and gardens. Working closely with Fáilte Ireland, the OPW, Wexford County Council and other partners, I do not doubt that they will develop this historic site into a major tourist attraction. The benefits will be felt across County Wexford. I compliment Teagasc on its forethought regarding the castle and estate in recent years. I also compliment Wexford County Council and its new manager, Mr. Tom Enright, on their foresight.

Fáilte Ireland's last visitor insight survey listed Ireland's history, spectacular scenery and crafts as the top elements that holiday makers associated with the south east. Fáilte Ireland's figures for 2012 show that 229,000 overseas tourists visited Wexford and generated revenue of €65 million. Some 122,000 came from Britain, 64,000 from the rest of Europe, 25,000 from the US and Canada and 18,000 from other markets. In 2012, only seven counties attracted more tourists than Wexford. Johnstown Castle will increase the tourism benefits to Wexford.

Compared with 2012, the general tourism figures for 2013 show a substantial growth in trips to Ireland of 7.2% to almost 7 million. The number of visits to Ireland from Britain, Wexford's key market, was almost 3 million. I expect that the figures for Wexford in 2013 will show a substantial growth. These figures do not take into account the visitors to Wexford from other parts of the island where County Wexford continues to be a major destination for domestic tourists holidaying at home or taking short breaks. Adding to the attractions in County Wexford, especially in those areas highlighted by initiatives like the Wexford Heritage Trail and Johnstown Castle, is something we can all welcome.

The Bill's second aspect will, after a decade of campaigning, allow the local community of Murrintown to purchase a plot of land for an extension to the local cemetery. I have been involved in this campaign for the past three and a half years and have seen at first hand the work done by the local community in bringing this legal change about. I thank the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who I have plagued for the past three and a half years, for introducing this Bill. I also wish to note some of the many people in the Murrintown community who have worked tirelessly for this project, for example, Fr. James Moynihan, Mr. Pat Delaney, Mr. John O'Neill and Mr. Frank Cardiff, who approached me a number of years ago, as well as an active local committee that pursued this goal for more than a decade. I am delighted that a number of these people are in the Gallery to witness the passage of this legislation, which is largely down to their hard work.

I have been in contact with Teagasc in recent days. It has informed me that, once this legislation is in place, it expects that the transfer of land can proceed quickly. I look forward to visiting Murrintown in the coming months to see the newly extended cemetery and the changes at Johnstown Castle. For almost 1,000 years through invasions, wars and rebellions, Johnstown Castle has had an influence on the people of County Wexford. Many people have a proud association with it. This legislation will allow the estate to continue its legacy by providing a much needed local graveyard for the community and attracting tourists and creating jobs in the region.

I recognise the work done by a number of people to bring about this legislation - the Minister and his departmental officials, who have been committed to this, Mr. Tom Doherty and the staff of Teagasc, and especially the members of the local community of Murrintown.

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