Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I share the enthusiasm of the Minister. That is why we included a proposal such as this in our White Paper submission some years ago. We should perhaps acknowledge the role His Highness, the Aga Khan, has played in inspiring a number of people to support this type of initiative. When the Minister came to the Curragh last year to launch the consultation process on the development of the racecourse, I was struck by the fact that His Highness had been involved in that particular initiative as well.

The equine and military developments could complement each other. As we see those two positive developments move forward, it highlights the need to see some sort of management structure or management agency put in place to examine the needs of the Curragh plains in a holistic manner. The institute for peace is a wonderful initiative. I commend the Minister on what he is doing. I hope whoever is in his seat after the election moves forward with the project.

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