Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas ag ghabháil leis an Cheann Comhairle as ucht an ábhair tábhachtach seo a roghnú. Tréaslaím ar an gcéad dul síos leis an mbeirt Aire Stáit, mo chairde Jerry Buttimer agus Neale Richmond, atá i láthair. Tá mé cinnte go ndéanfaidh siad sár-jab sna poist atá acu agus leis na dualgais atá acu le comhlíonadh. Tréaslaím chomh maith leis an Teachta nua ó Chill Dara Thuaidh, mo comhghleacaí, Aodhán Ó Fearghaíl.

The Curragh is an almost 5,000 acre plain located between Newbridge, Kildare and Kilcullen. It is a limestone plain that lies over a massive aquifer with the potential to supply water to many parts of the county and perhaps the country. It is a valuable national and local resource. We have a problem, which has existed for many years in some aspects, insofar as it is used, quite correctly, by the bloodstock sector, the sheep farming sector, by the Defence Forces and for recreation and amenity purposes by the public, but there has never been any effective control or management of those uses. I would not want to see any of those uses inhibited but I would like to see them managed. In the past six or eight years, however, we have seen a new phenomenon develop where hordes of caravans descend upon the Curragh plains between the months of June and, last year, October. In the early years they could be numbered in the dozens. There were almost uncountable numbers present in 2024 at a variety of locations across the Curragh plains. The cost of the clean-up after this unauthorised holiday camp was eventually vacated was something of the order of €190,000 just for one year.

Could anyone in this Chamber imagine the Phoenix Park being invaded and turned into an unofficial holiday camp? Could anyone imagine it with the lakes of Killarney, Glenveagh National Park, or any other resource of similar importance in the country? No, they could not, and it would never happen. Why would it never happen? Because there is an effective management structure in place for those resources. No such resource exists in respect of the Curragh.

In 2015, I published a Bill attempting to set out criteria under which a consultative body could at least be appointed. This would have been made up of the interested users and would have included Kildare County Council. The programme for Government says that the Government will operate a conservation plan for the Curragh and will seek to identify the agency best suited to manage the historic plains. I have no doubt but that my constituency colleague, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, who was one of the negotiators of the programme for Government, was instrumental in ensuring that provision was included in the plan. It is great to have it there. The plan for Government is full of wonderful aspirations but this is one that must be acted on urgently. We cannot have a recurrence in 2025 of what we had in Kildare in 2024. When is there going to be action? There needs to be effective action before June of this year.

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