Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I note Deputy Durkan's utter commitment in this area. I think everyone is of a common bond, which is that we want to see Castletown House reopened and want the estate back to normal functioning hours. The overlying thing is that it remains the strategic objective of the OPW to acquire the remaining lands to reunite all the lands at the former estate. I gave a commitment to the working group that in my time as Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Lime Avenue will continue to be pedestrianised. We may, on a temporary basis, require staffing to reopen it, but any result which gives rise to permanent vehicular access to Lime Avenue will not happen while I am Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. It is a pedestrian access; it has been so. We need to get the staff back in. We are looking at a safety audit, which we will discuss with the working group. I note the point the Deputy has raised, and he has been very consistent on that. We are working to a common objective to be able to get full opening hours and full access for the public. Part of that is to get the staff back in as well. I committed to the working group that I would meet the owners of the land. I did that last week. I believe it was a positive meeting. There will be a further engagement. My abiding commitment is to work with public representatives such as Deputy Durkan, who is a long-standing Member of the House and has been very much to the fore on this issue for the people of the area. I want to work in a collaborative way. Anyone who knows me knows I want to find and explore every single conceivable avenue to find a resolution with everyone working together. As I have said, Castletown estate is the Phoenix Park for Celbridge, the Deputy's area, Leixlip, Maynooth and the general area. I want to ensure that it is fully reopened and I look forward to my further engagement with the working group next Tuesday, along with the Deputy's good self.

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