Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Killarney House is an historical building, part of a French-style house which was home to the Earl of Kenmare. It was owned by the late Mr. John McShain, one of the biggest developers in America who redesigned the White House and built the Pentagon, who died in Killarney in 1989 and whose wife died in 1998. They bought this estate in the 1950s and bit by bit, from 1970, started gifting it, including thousands of acres, to the Government. There are many historic parts to it as well, including the monastic island of Innisfallen, Ross Castle and two of the lakes of Killarney.

Later, for a nominal sum, they handed over thousands of acres of woodland and pasture while retaining life tenancy of Killarney House. The last 21 acres were given to the State just two years ago. Sr. McShain, the sole child of John and Mary McShain, stated recently that her parents would be heartbroken that the house they loved and restored is now neglected and to see the paint peeling off the walls.

I tabled this matter because to the people of Killarney and Kerry, and to visitors, Killarney House is the body of Killarney. This house is falling asunder. The McShain's were given a commitment by the Government that it would be restored to its former glory and accessible to tourists and the public. It is a disgrace. It is shameful that this beautiful structure which was donated to the State has been allowed to decay and fall into ruin, especially in times of such affluence and prosperity.

The Minister has stated that he is committed to restoring the house. Given those words, I must ask how much money he will put into it and what he will do with it. My colleague for south Kerry, Deputy Healy-Rae, announced last week that he has been given a commitment that money will be spent on Killarney House. Nobody knows how much. Nobody knows what work is to be done. There are valuables from the house in paid storage at a cost of €70,000 a year.

There is a commitment by the Minister to restore the House. I want to know what that commitment entails. How much money is involved? What will it do? Will there just be another few dehumidifiers put into the House to keep the rising damp at bay? People want to know.

It was intended that the parklands and the house would be enjoyed and appreciated by visitors and locals alike and not let run into a state of ruin. In recent times it has been occupied by squatters. This has been disregarded by the Minister but it is fact. I spoke with people in the town hall in Killarney who confirmed that there had been squatters. It is a disgrace.

I and the people of Killarney and the surrounding areas want this house to become a heritage centre that would incorporate all matters of a historical and cultural nature relating to Killarney and County Kerry, the ancient monasteries of Innisfallen, Aghadoe, Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle. It could be an interpretative centre. We do not want merely to stop the rising damp and replace a few slates on Killarney House. I ask that the firm commitment will be honoured by adequate funding after the costing has been done to provide this interpretative centre for Killarney. It is in the heart of Killarney and it would really add to the core of the town.

A National Parks and Wildlife Service plan was drawn up a number of years ago, a copy of which I have seen. Such a plan should be fully costed and there should be public consultation on this issue. It is well and good to think that we have experts from NPWS, with all due respects, and from the Minister's office who can decide for the people of Killarney and of the country how Killarney House could be best used on behalf of the State. Following public consultation, the Minister should set up a task force that will come to a consensus on how Killarney House can best be used. He must provide the funding, not just for a few more dehumidifiers, but to bring the house back to its former glory, as Mr. McShain wanted.

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to discuss this important issue on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley. As the Deputy may know, Killarney House was discussed on the Adjournment in the Seanad last week. I would like to place on the record of this House the details provided to the Seanad by the Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe.

Killarney House and the greater part of the accompanying estate was sold to the State in 1978 by the then owner, Mr. John McShain, for a sum below market value, on the assurance that the house and the estate would be incorporated into Killarney National Park. As part of the sale agreement, the McShains had the use of the house and the surrounding 52 acres for their lifetimes. Mr. McShain died in 1989 and Mrs. McShain lived in the house until her death in 1998, when the use of the house reverted to the State, some 20 years after the sale.

The house is now the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which manages Killarney National Park. In the 2005-09 management plan for the park, the stated intention for Killarney House is to retain and preserve its integrity and character, both internally and externally, and to provide for visitor access to certain parts as appropriate, in particular the three main furnished reception rooms. Detailed specialist surveys commissioned by the Office of Public Works have made clear the need for significant infrastructural works, such as adequate plumbing, heating and electrical systems, before the house can be opened to the public. While Killarney House is, therefore, in need of repair before it can be opened as a fully functioning building to the general public, it is in a stable condition. It has been used for meetings of the national park liaison committee and for meetings between the Department and the trustees of Muckross House.

I assure the House that the Minister is committed to the development of Killarney House and the wider Killarney National Park, of which the house is an integral part. In the past five years, more than €5.5 million has been invested in the park, some €2.5 million of which was spent last year. A further €2 million will be invested this year. In addition, more than €1.4 million was spent in the past few years by the OPW on the provision of universal access at Muckross House, which, for the first time, gives those with a mobility impairment full and equal access to the house. Killarney House has also benefited from this investment. Following consultations with the OPW, essential works to avoid any deterioration to the fabric of the building have been funded by the Department. These works include the removal of plaster on the walls to prevent dampness, the provision of dehumidifiers in all the main rooms on the ground floor and other important trench and draining works. The golden gates and railings of the house have been restored, a security system has been installed and heating pipes and radiators have been upgraded. In 2007, the gate lodge at Killarney House was renovated for use as an assembly and information point for walking tours, at a cost of more than €250,000. The lawns and flowerbeds at the house are regularly maintained. Staff are employed to cut the lawns, trim hedges, plant and maintain flowerbeds, collect litter and carry out small maintenance jobs. I emphasise that contrary to recent media reports, there are no squatters at Killarney House.

I assure Deputies that the Minister is committed to ensuring that Killarney House fulfils its potential. To that end, he has asked his Department to work closely with all the appropriate State agencies to explore funding options. It will liaise with the Office of Public Works, in particular, to decide on a phased work programme for the house.