Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Having been in that situation myself from time to time, I can assure him that while one welcomes an occasion to address the House on such an issue or any other issue, there are times when one would wish that the chalice might pass.

I am disappointed with the tone of the reply, which is not the creation of the Minister of State. I am very thankful he came to the House and addressed it in such detail but the reply misses the point. The point is that the public representatives are called, and all public representatives have been involved in this and we are all supportive of each other, to use their influence to remove what the OPW sees as a obstacle to the situation in bringing about the restoration of the access that was there previously. It is not. It was caused by the OPW itself when it transpired that the existing access is no longer available so we have to make alternative arrangements.

They were told again that they had an alternative access, when they did not have that alternative access. I have raised this with the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and a series of Ministers. I think the Minister of State is the eleventh who has come into the House in recent times about this issue. I have received great support from all of those involved - the Ministers, the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, himself. However, the OPW needs to change its attitude to try to resolve the fundamental issue the local people have. They fully support the preservation of Castletown, the access to Castletown, and the need to preserve for the future the objet d'arthoused in the Castletown collection. They understand all that as well as access for recreational purposes. The tone in all communications suggests that the local people are to blame for causing the situation. They are not. The local people are totally and absolutely supportive. I will be pursuing the matter further as opportunities arise, and whether they arise or not. I thank the Minister of State for taking the trouble to relay that reply to the House. I intend to pursue this issue further.

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