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

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue again and for permitting me to raise it on many occasions in the past. I also thank Minister of State from coming into the House to reply. I thank him for his work since his appointment in attempting to resolve this particular issue. Despite his best efforts, the Castletown House saga continues. It is a bit like the "Forsyte Saga", a programme on television once upon a time. Every time a solution is identified, there is equally an obstacle that creates a problem.

One of the issues at the at the present time is as follows. The Minister of State rightly attempted to negotiate with the owner of adjoining lands who has an interest in the proceedings here. In response to that, the landowner decided to put a gateway across the previously used access from the M4, which was a clear indication of what was likely to happen in the future.

That gateway was not put there for nothing; it is there for a particular purpose. We all observe the rights of private and public landowners, property owners, homeowners, etc., at all times. There is no attempt here to usurp those rights. What is at risk is this. In my opinion, the State rightly spent €25 million in recent years to facilitate the works at Castletown House. It was unwise of the State to spend that kind of money if it was not happy that access would be guaranteed. What is the sense in that? We would have to fly in like they did during the Berlin standoff that took place many years ago, when the only way into the city was by aeroplane.

This a matter involves the people of Celbridge, members of the general public who use Castletown estate for recreation, those who have an interest in works of art or historical houses and the individuals who have worked in Castletown House. Some of their descendants are still around. I remember them well from when they worked in Castletown House. The situation has to be resolved and cannot go on forever. The State cannot allow itself to be dictated to by an adjoining equal tenant or property owner. The State has rights as well. The State has the right to visit and revisit its property and the property of the public. It should join those rights with the general public, members of which should be able to go to and from the estate without having their rights tested and challenged.

There were a number of incidents there in recent times, although I do not propose to go into them here. These were tragic incidents as well and they have been brought to the fore by virtue of the circumstances that prevail at the location. I ask the Minister of State at this stage to think really seriously about legal action to determine the State’s right to visit its property as well as to allow the public, with the permission of the State, to visit that property as well so it can enjoy the facilities that are available there. This is supported by all the public representatives and all the newly elected councillors to that area who are well versed on the subject. All support is very welcome. The Minister of State needs to know that he has the support of the public representatives in attempting to determine an outcome.

The last point I want to make is this. One of the outcomes that was suggested was that the old road that goes onto the Main Street in Celbridge could be used as an access point in the future. It is not so. As the Ceann Comhairle will well know, the traffic situation has changed dramatically in the past 250 or 300 years. Traffic has increased using the old road is not an option.

See this speech in context