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

I realise the Minister of State had a difficult job to deliver because several people have previously delivered or failed to deliver on that, as the case may be. I cannot but comment on the fact that the emphasis is put on how little impact the extra traffic will have when, in fact, the OPW knows it has plans to extend and expand - and rightly so - the use of Castletown House as a national and international centre and protect what is known as the Castletown collection. All of that is strongly supported by the local people. None of it would be affected by simply trying to arrange a shared route with the adjoining landowner. I do not think the adjoining landowner, coming on stream as he did, has the right to stop the State from going to and from its own property, a preserved and protected mansion, in Celbridge. I do not accept that the OPW's intentions are as it says. Its intentions at the time were to widen the gates and cut the railings using an angle grinder in order that it could show that it had an alternative access route. There is no space in the traffic patterns in Celbridge for any extra traffic, not even for ten extra cars, until measures are taken to alleviate the traffic. Worst of all, no effort is being made to engage. That has to happen and, ultimately, it will happen.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and addressing this issue. I think it has been raised here 16 or 17 times by me alone, and other colleagues in Kildare North have raised as well. The issue has to be addressed. When will it be addressed? There is a recognition by the OPW that there is another way, which is the way we have set out again and again. We will continue to pursue these options until out objective is in sight.

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