Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the provisions of the Bill regarding the transfer of functions from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. These include the functions which, under the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park Act 1932 as it stood immediately after enactment, were exercisable by the Commissioner of Public Works, and most of the functions which were exercisable by the Minister for Finance under the 1932 Act.

I wish the Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, well in her stewardship of Killarney National Park. I am sure she will continue the excellent work carried out by her predecessor, the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, on behalf of the national park. I am also sure she will take a personal interest in this matter given that Killarney National Park is the largest national park in the country and the jewel in the crown of the national park network.

The nucleus of Killarney National Park is the 4,300 ha of the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park which was presented to the State in 1932 by Senator Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Bowers Bourn, in memory of Senator Vincent's late wife, Maud. The generosity of the Vincent family ensured that the most beautiful lakeland, parkland and woodland in Killarney could be preserved in the hands of the State and will continue to be accessible to future generations.

The focal point for visitors to Killarney National Park is Muckross House and gardens. The house, which is a late 19th century mansion with all manner of furnishings and artefacts from that period, is a major visitor attraction. It is jointly managed by the park authorities and the trustees of the house who have formed a dedicated and proactive committee that provides ancillary facilities to complement all the physical features of the national park. These include historical, cultural, musical and folklore archives, a model farm and farmhouse. Each house depicts the various categories of farm family dwellings. The park also features a traditional schoolhouse and blacksmith's forge. Live demonstrations are given of all the traditional farm activities in the era of horse driven machinery as well as butter making and bread baking. Ongoing developments by the trustees greatly enhance the visitor experience and give an insight into 19th century and early 20th century Ireland. This is highly educational for the younger generation, including young people who visit Muckross House with their families or on educational tours with schools.

I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, to convey to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht my acknowledgement of the work done by the trustees and request that she maintain the co-operative and friendly relationship that has always existed between the Department and trustees of Muckross House.

Muckross House is one of the prime visitor locations in the country. In 2013, the visitor book recorded 118,789 visitors and figures for 2014 should be significantly higher.

The restaurant is thriving but there is a huge number of unrecorded visitors to the national park and Muckross complex. The number of visitors to the complex is much more substantial than 118,000 and it could probably be trebled.

The newly refurbished Killarney House and Gardens is a major project and its location brings the national park closer to the town. It borders the centre of the town. A total of €17 million has been invested over the past few years and this has provided for the reinstatement of 35 acres of gardens to their original pristine state. This will be an iconic feature at the heart of the prime tourism town in the country. Will the Minister of State convey to the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the immediate need for staff to be appointed? Significant public relations work and advertising needs to be undertaken prior to the opening because this is a major acquisition in the context of the entire tourism product in County Kerry.

The current staff in the national park are under extreme pressure because of the maintenance and general upkeep that is required throughout. There is need for more manpower to undertake the physical work involved and to ensure part-time staff are available to work as guides and so on during the summer. The tourism industry is expanding, and the Wild Atlantic Way will also be a feature of the county's tourism product, as visitors do the Atlantic drive and then travel inland. Kerry Regional Airport is also flourishing and, therefore, there is good access to the county by air and rail, although there is a need to upgrade the road access through Adare and Macroom, in particular. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is making his own efforts in that regard.

I ask the Minister to co-operate with requests from jarveys regarding the use of the road inside the perimeter walls of Killarney House. It is parallel to Mission Road, which runs from the Killarney Plaza Hotel to the cathedral. There is a need for access to the park via Chestnut Drive and that facility should be made available. Mission road is busy with heavy traffic and it is not easy for the jarveys to travel along it. This would be a practical measure, which could be undertaken with minimum disruption to the environment by ensuring the access is provided within the perimeter wall. It would also be desirable to lower the wall, as this would be positive from an aesthetic and visibility point of view. It would improve the ambience and bring the national park closer to the heart of the town.

There is a need for an annual maintenance fund for the repair and surface dressing of a network of roads throughout the park, as they have drastically deteriorated in recent years. Minor works have been carried out but substantial funding is needed to bring the roads up to a good standard. That probably means a three year plan is necessary with sums expended annually.

I ask that the work on the walk around the lakes be expedited. The co-operation of the Department will be important in securing a walkway and a cycleway around the lakes. I ask that every assistance be given for that.

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