Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy’s points. As I have outlined previously, the site referred to contains a national monument owned by the Department and is in the day-to-day care of the OPW.

It does not have the potential to become a significant tourist attraction, in any event, as access is hazardous. The asking price, which I think is €1.25 million for approximately 32 hectares, is significant, and there are value for money principles which must be given careful consideration in the case of any acquisition. The acquisition of land for the purposes of presentation or protection of national monuments, as I said, is the exception rather than the norm. It is only considered where the national monument is otherwise not adequately protected, which is not the case in this instance.

As the Deputy mentioned, the site is listed for a number of bird species but the difficulty of public access means a high degree of protection for the birds.

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