Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will provide some clarity and respond to a number of questions and comments. I echo the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe's comments, in that there has been a considerable community effort to try to solve a genuine problem adjacent to the estate. It could not be solved easily without access to some of the estate's land. The community is not getting something on the cheap, as it is paying full value for the land. Due to the location of the existing graveyard, this was the only option. The campaign has been under way for a long time and I am pleased that the legislation will help everyone who has been trying to make it happen. The Minister of State has been in touch with me repeatedly for some time to try to solve the problem, as has the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin.

The Bill has a broader purpose. A fantastic gift was donated to us many years ago and we must ensure that it has a future, we can invest in it, it can contribute to the south-east's economy, something that is badly needed, it can provide a new opportunity for tourism and leisure and it can be well run, not only for those who live in the south east generally, but also for the region's many visitors. The area is a fantastic tourist destination.

This is positive legislation and I thank those opposite for not opposing it and for taking it at face value. There is a south-east interest involved. To reassure Deputies, if a further request or proposal comes from a local GAA club or so on, it can be considered by Teagasc as long as it is consistent with the detail of the legislation that requires the land to be used for environmental, heritage, amenity or recreational purposes. However, there is a limit of 5% on the amount of land that can be sold in any one act.

There are limitations because we do not want to see a creeping sales process where we would sell this valuable asset, part of which is valuable because of its scale at nearly 1,000 acres. We do not want to see that eroded over time unless there is very good reason for it. Also, we want the opportunity for a change of use to facilitate the kind of tourism and visitor facility most people envisage for the castle and the gardens, which are at the heart of the estate. We want to be able to facilitate Teagasc leasing that facility to an operator if that is the best way to operate it because Teagasc is not a tourist organisation or a leisure facilitator.

This is sensible legislation. It maintains the spirit of the donors in terms of this contributing to Wexford and to the south east, but it is modernising the vision for Johnstown Castle and the broader estate and for that reason the relatives of the donors have no problem with what is being proposed here.

To reassure Deputy Ellis, there is no intention to sell this estate, privatise it for profit or anything like that. This was a donation to the State and it will be respected as such.

Regarding Deputy Wallace's comments, I can assure him I am very interested in the potato industry, not only in Wexford but across the country. I take some of his comments on board.

On the seaweed industry, that is a potentially exciting growth sector for Ireland which we are examining seriously as part of an aquaculture development programme. I suspect Wexford is as relevant to that ambition as are other parts of our coastline.

I thank my officials who have been working on this legislation. We put people in my Department under some pressure to get this legislation done before the summer because there are some time pressures in that regard. I thank them for that because even though it is straightforward legislation on the face of it, it has been a complex process in terms of getting legal advice from the Attorney General's office and so on. I hope we will be able to finish the job now without any further delay.

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