Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I feel a little inadequate raising an issue of this nature in the immediate aftermath of a discussion on a fodder crisis and animal welfare. However, I agree with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht that heritage and cultural issues need to be at the heart of the national recovery we are working towards. Perhaps on that basis I should not feel so unhappy about raising the issue of the Croppies Acre. It is a well known site in central Dublin close to the National Museum at Collins Barracks, Heuston Station and a Luas stop. In 2011, significant moneys were expended by the Office for Public Works, OPW, renovating the site. There was controversy when it was proposed that the site be developed as a bus and car park for the National Museum, which would have been a travesty. At the time, between €35,000 and €40,000 of public money was expended on developing and preserving this unique site, which houses the burial place of many members of the 1798 Rebellion. Matthew Tone and Bartholomew Teeling - I do not know if he is related to the owner of the Teeling Whiskey Company - are reputed to be buried there.

The grounds have been misused by a tiny section of the public. Syringes and other drugs paraphernalia have been found there and anti-social behaviour is an issue. People are climbing over the walls to enter the grounds to drink and it is no longer open to the public as a result. This national monument has been closed by OPW officials because they do not have available to them the small amount required to keep this site clean in order that it can be safely accessed by the public.

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, who is standing in for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Can priority be given to dealing with this relatively minor issue in order that the site can be reopened to Dubliners and the people of the country as a whole? It is an issue that is well capable of being solved by the Government.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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This issue falls exclusively under the remit of the OPW and the Deputy should not feel the need to apologise for raising this matter. It is an important issue, not least because of the historical connection but also because of its location. The site is on a major thoroughfare running alongside the River Liffey into town. Hundreds of thousands of cars pass the area every year. It is also close to the National Museum at Collins Barracks and, therefore, it is an important tourist location. The Deputy is correct to raise the issue and to put the OPW and myself under as much pressure as he can to resolve it. He should make no apologies whatsoever for that.

The area known as Croppies Acre lies between the National Museum at Collins Barracks and the River Liffey. It is enclosed by walls and has access gates. The area is managed by the Commissioners of Public Works whose staff maintain the grounds, cut grass, etc. Croppies Acre has been susceptible to anti-social behaviour for some time. The walls are easily scaled in certain parts and the grounds are frequented by drug users, junkies and people abusing alcohol generally during the hours of darkness and especially at weekends. The grounds had been opened to the general public by the OPW, usually between 9.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m., Monday to Saturday, in line with the opening hours of the nearby National Museum.

However, it was becoming increasingly common for the OPW to discover used syringes among other rubbish discarded on the preceding night. In consequence, a decision was taken in May 2011 to close the area to the public on health and safety grounds. Sufficient resources are not available to the OPW to sterilise the entire area every day before opening the gates and inviting the public to enter and the commissioners, reasonably, were not prepared to accept the risk of, say, a child picking up a discarded needle with potentially disastrous consequences for his or her health. It was with reluctance that the commissioners decided to close Croppies Acre and they have been exploring ways of reopening this small park for some time. Discussions are ongoing with Dublin City Council in this regard and I am hopeful that the park can be re-opened to the public in the not too distant future under the management of the council.

I would like to correct recent media reports, which stated that the Croppies Acre park contained the Anna Livia fountain and sculpture originally located on O'Connell Street. This monument is sited in an area nearby but outside the Croppies Acre grounds and it is not under the management or control of the Commissioners of Public Works. The monument is still accessible to the public.

It is my intention and that of the OPW and Dublin City Council to see if we can reopen this small park as soon as possible. Logically, its management should lie with the city council and we are having discussions with its officials. I hope the fact that the Deputy has put the issue on the agenda of the House will ensure a commonsense solution can be found between the OPW and the council. I look forward to that meeting shortly.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for clarifying the position. Dubliners will be delighted to be reminded that the Floozie in the Jacuzzi is located outside the Ashling Hotel rather than in the Croppies Acres area. There was concern in the past that this small park would form part of the National Museum complex and be integrated into that but the Government and the OPW have decided to go down the road of discussions with the city council, which I accept. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, who is sitting beside the Minister of State, will be well used to councils throughout the country telling him that they are strapped for cash and have great difficulty funding their current operations without taking on board additional responsibilities.

What sort of assurances can the Minister of State give us that there is a likelihood that Dublin City Council will take responsibility for this site and clean up the appalling mess? I agree with him that it is completely unacceptable that hypodermic syringes and needles and so on need to be removed from this site on a regular basis. We would all appeal to those people who are irresponsible users of this particular facility not to be but given that they are, what sort of assurances can the Minister of State give us that the funding will be available to Dublin City Council to get on with the job and to take this on board?

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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We are looking at this issue very closely. As I said, I hope it will be resolved in the not too distant future and that we can work up some flexible arrangement with Dublin City Council. We are in the parks business in the context of our own properties, such as Phoenix Park and St. Stephen's Green, and the many other national historic properties which fall under the responsibility of the Office of Public Works. We are not really in the business of neighbourhood parks or parks which are, generally speaking, not attached to national historic properties or national monuments.

Given the proximity of this very important historic site to the National Museum, we must work up a solution. The Deputy put his finger on it when he said that this is an important historic site which is right beside the museum and that it is also important for tourists as a kind of overspill area. However, people need to feel some semblance of safety walking around it during the day or in the early evening, in particular over the summer. I hope we can work up a flexible arrangement with the city council to resolve this issue. I have given a commitment that it will be in the not too distant future and the Deputy can hold me to that.