James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will not come in again to ask a supplementary question. I will leave my contribution at this. The battle over the landfill was a long one. It is a good news story that we are out the far side of it.

I will briefly mention the Kerdiffstown residents' group, the cleaner Naas group and other groups. I will also mention Kildare County Council and the people under the stewardship of Joe Boland who have brought matters to this point.

On a historical note, things go full circle. My predecessor in this role and former Deputy, the late Michael Fitzpatrick, raised this issue in 2007 with the Minister's predecessor, former Deputy John Gormley, when it was first breaking. I worked with then Deputy Fitzpatrick at that time and he pressed this issue. It is really positive to see it come full circle.

I regularly drive past the landfill on the way home and it is amazing to see the work that has gone on. It is not yet open to the public, as the Minister knows, but one can see the remedial work that has taken place if one looks through the fence or the gate. It will be a park. There will be vantage points, a path to walk around and playing fields within it. It is an ugly duckling that has become a swan and it is a credit to all involved.

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