Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Once again, I bring to the attention of the House the situation at Castletown House in Celbridge, County Kildare, a mansion of national and international importance as well as of community importance and that, from an architectural, historical, worldwide and national importance standpoint, is necessary. However, it is beset by a situation caused by a disagreement between the OPW and the adjoining landlord whereby it has not been possible to continue with the facility that existed for the past 15 years where access was gained to the mansion, the car park and the 235-acre environs from the M4. This access facilitated countrywide travellers, of whom thousands have visited the area while thousands are lined up to do so.

Unfortunately, at the moment, everything seems to be in abeyance. Efforts are being made to facilitate visitors to the house, enthusiasts, local community associations and people involved in recreation who have used the facility over the years. Progress has not been forthcoming to the extent required because, to my mind, it cannot be on the basis of the proposed settlement. It is a piecemeal settlement that is not supported by the people of Celbridge because it means opening up to vehicular traffic what is known as Lime Avenue, which is the main entrance to Castletown House and was the entrance when the house was built. It was the appropriate main entrance and access at that time. Unfortunately, matters have changed and we now have a heavily trafficked main street in Celbridge that hosts the main gate into Castletown House. It is, unfortunately, proposed by the OPW that we have an alternative entrance, which is the one off Main Street in Celbridge. That will not, cannot and does not work because it is one of the most heavily trafficked main streets in the country and is growing. Efforts to alleviate the traffic situation are continuing but that is not the total solution.

To my mind, a solution, and I have suggested this to all involved, involves reverting to the situation that prevailed before the Mexican stand-off in early September and to arrange for a temporary procedure whereby access is guaranteed as it was before until such time as an arrangement can be worked out and within a reasonable timeframe - not postponed forever - to ensure access for those who previously had access to Castletown House and supported and still support Castletown House. Local concerns have placed pickets at the gate due to their fears that the situation that prevailed heretofore was no longer feasible by virtue of the OPW saying it had an alternative entrance. We do not have an alternative entrance. The OPW does not have an alternative entrance because the entrance to which it refers is not practical in view of modern traffic volumes in that area.

I ask for a realistic appraisal of the situation whereby, following on from the temporary arrangement, there are serious discussions about what happens next with particular reference to safeguarding access to the property, Castletown House, which is 235 or 237 acres in curtilage. That is the first priority and that is agreed by all the local people concerned.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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A Mexican stand-off on Main Street in Celbridge. What is the Minister of State going to do to solve it?

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his intervention and his summation of this very important issue in his constituency. In October 2023, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, initiated a working group to progress the reuniting of the historic demesne and access issues to Castletown House and estate. This group includes representatives of the community and all of the political representatives in the area, including Deputy Durkan as a TD for the area. This working group has held three meetings to date to agree the terms of reference. To date, these meetings have focused on staff access. The officials of the OPW have been in ongoing, intensive contact with all members of the local community. They have made themselves available to meet with both representative groups and individual members of the community on an ongoing basis.

The key challenge remains that the OPW does not have vehicular access to Castletown House and estate. Without vehicular access for the OPW staff at Castletown, it will not be possible to welcome school tours, active retirement groups and other visitors to Castletown House in 2024. It is essential to understand that OPW staff have not had vehicular access to their workplace since September 2023. Their union withdrew their members on 25 October 2023 until the OPW could provide a safe working environment or safe access and egress for their members to attend their workplace. A skeleton staff continues to undertake the minimum operations on the site.

The OPW and the staff at Castletown House want to return to normal working arrangements and longer opening hours to welcome visitors both from the local area and beyond. The OPW wants to plan to welcome children for school tours and visitors to guided tours of the house, reopen the café, plan exhibitions and undertake all the biodiversity work Castletown House has become a leader in over recent years. This is not possible with the skeleton staff on site at present. Despite ongoing intensive efforts, it has not been possible to get agreement for the OPW staff to gain access to their workplace.

There is a continuing protest to any OPW vehicular traffic on Lime Avenue. However, it is critical to note that this does not extend to Kildare County Council or Irish Water. As the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has already shared, it is fully agreed that Lime Avenue is not suitable for the approximately 250,000 cars and one million visitors who came to Castletown House in 2022. The overwhelming majority of visitors to the estate are from the surrounding area. People on guided tours of Castletown House account for less than 1% of visitors. As has been made clear to the local community, the OPW does not have any permission to access Castletown House and estate from the M4 access road. Over recent months, as outlined to both the political representatives and the local community, the lack of access is causing ongoing damage to Castletown House, its collections and to the biodiversity of the estate.

To better understand the views of the local community, the OPW launched a public survey. This survey focuses on gathering information on how people travel to Castletown, what is important to them when they visit and how visitors can be supported to use active travel and public transport. The OPW and the wider community that visits the estate need to engage on this to find sustainable travel solutions. This survey will continue until 6 February and I urge the Deputy and all local political representatives to share it through their social media and constituency offices and to encourage their constituents to have their views recorded.

The OPW is not seeking to bring significant volumes of traffic through the Celbridge Gate and Lime Avenue. The OPW envisages Lime Avenue operating as a pedestrian priority road in line with current practice across numerous OPW sites such as St. Stephen’s Green and Farmleigh. The OPW has made written commitments that the volume of traffic would be approximately 20 vehicles per day for OPW staff and essential contractors. People with a disability would also be facilitated with access as required.

At this time, Castletown House and estate will not be offering car parking for visitors to Castletown. The practical implementation of this new reality and ensuring this does not have negative impacts on the local community within Celbridge is a key area of discussion for the working group. To date, the independent facilitator has convened three meetings and I understand another one is due shortly.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. Having been in that situation myself from time to time, I can assure him that while one welcomes an occasion to address the House on such an issue or any other issue, there are times when one would wish that the chalice might pass.

I am disappointed with the tone of the reply, which is not the creation of the Minister of State. I am very thankful he came to the House and addressed it in such detail but the reply misses the point. The point is that the public representatives are called, and all public representatives have been involved in this and we are all supportive of each other, to use their influence to remove what the OPW sees as a obstacle to the situation in bringing about the restoration of the access that was there previously. It is not. It was caused by the OPW itself when it transpired that the existing access is no longer available so we have to make alternative arrangements.

They were told again that they had an alternative access, when they did not have that alternative access. I have raised this with the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and a series of Ministers. I think the Minister of State is the eleventh who has come into the House in recent times about this issue. I have received great support from all of those involved - the Ministers, the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, himself. However, the OPW needs to change its attitude to try to resolve the fundamental issue the local people have. They fully support the preservation of Castletown, the access to Castletown, and the need to preserve for the future the objet d'arthoused in the Castletown collection. They understand all that as well as access for recreational purposes. The tone in all communications suggests that the local people are to blame for causing the situation. They are not. The local people are totally and absolutely supportive. I will be pursuing the matter further as opportunities arise, and whether they arise or not. I thank the Minister of State for taking the trouble to relay that reply to the House. I intend to pursue this issue further.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I again thank Deputy Durkan for his outline of this serious situation for an important State amenity. I was struck by the figures, the visitations, the traffic and the number of people who use the amenity and see great value in it. I know it is close to the Deputy's heart, and I have heard him raise it a number of times in this House and with Ministers in the current Government. We absolutely have to find a solution to this issue. I understand the Deputy was in discussions with the chairperson of the OPW as well on this issue, and we have to find a resolution. I will relay Deputy Durkan's comments back to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and hopefully a solution can be found. It is an important State amenity that should be treasured and people should be able to see the value and get to experience it, which is so important for their community.