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

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This is about the 12th time I have raised this issue since September. My frustration and that of local people stems from the lack of progress since then. I am not blaming the Minister of State for that as this is not his area of responsibility, but something has to give. The situation cannot continue whereby local public representatives, including me, strive to resolve matters in the shortest possible time, but there is no progress to report. As long as the situation remains the same, then nothing will ever happen. At the end of the day, there is potential for damage to the collection at Castletown House, to the roof of the building, and all the trappings that go with that. It is an area where there has been great expenditure in the past. It needs that expenditure. It also needs continuous traffic from visitors.

It is now essential to attempt to have a judicial review on whether there is a case for the State to ensure that it has access to the property in question. It is the State's property. If it is the case that the State is to be prevented from servicing and visiting its own property, and allowing its employees to visit and maintain the property, it is time to go for a judicial review on whether a mutual agreement can be reached with the adjoining landowner whereby the State can do its job, while at the same time allowing the neighbouring landowner, who is the new owner, to continue his or her work regardless. It is a question of sharing the entrance and finding the legal means of doing that. The reticence in this matter so far is due to the example of Lissadell in County Sligo. There is no comparison between Castletown and the situation at Lissadell at all. I ask that we go for either an interim injunction or a judicial review to prove it.

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