Seanad debates

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

Killarney Jarveys

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State and look forward to the good news, if that is what he has for me. This matter has gone on too long and it is time to lance the boil once and for all. Everyone realises it is only through dialogue that one makes headway. I tabled this Adjournment matter seeking an immediate, binding and independent mediation process for that reason. It is the only manner in which I can envisage this conflict being brought to a satisfactory conclusion. All Members realise from their life experience and the various matters with which they have been obliged to deal before entering this House and thereafter that matters only get sorted through dialogue. This is how all disputes end sooner or later. Consequently, I ask loudly, why not sooner and why not now?

Valued jobs in tourism are at stake because of this blockade which I believe would be lifted immediately were there to be dialogue or were a mediation process to be put in place. There is no point in allowing it to fester or to get further out of hand. As for the picket before Killarney National Park at Muckross, which is the jewel in the crown of tourism, many people have a natural respect for pickets and will not pass them while others regard such pickets as intimidation. In any event, business is suffering seriously as a result and the tourism season had been poor even without this dispute.

I should stress there are two bodies of jarveys in Killarney. The town jarveys have initiated a court action in the High Court against the national parks and wildlife service, NPWS, and only God knows when it will be heard, although I believe it has been up for mention a few times. I am referring to the other group and to the blockade of Muckross House. I am assured the jarveys at Muckross House have nothing to do with the town jarveys' action against the Department. They both have been locked out of the park because of their failure to date to use the dung catchers. Rightly or wrongly, they believe their case has not been heard. While I am not here to defend anyone, I am greatly concerned that the blockade of Muckross, to which the Garda has been called a number of times, constitutes a great hindrance to the tourism industry and everyone in the general area is concerned.

An important point is that there is an innocent injured party in this affair, namely, the shop and the fine garden restaurant to the side of Muckross House which is run by a trustees' company, the Trustees of Muckross House (Killarney) Limited. Apparently the takings in these enterprises have fallen greatly on foot of this ongoing dispute. They are completely innocent in this matter, the protest is not against them and they have no axe to grind. I must confess that in common with about 15 others, I am a trustee. We worked harmoniously with the Office of Public Works when it had responsibility and now do so with the Department in the form of the NPWS. Huge losses are being incurred and that company cannot trade at a loss. There are corporate governance procedures involved and there is company law and consequently we cannot trade at a loss because that would constitute reckless trading. If this continues for another week or three, protective notice will have to be issued to the staff there. This would be sad because they all are good people who provide a wonderful service.

I will not labour the point further as the Minister of State has the picture. I hope there can be dialogue. I appeal to the Minister of State and to the Minister, Deputy Gormley, to use their good offices to provide for dialogue because were it given the green light, there would be an immediate lifting of the blockade. Moreover, once such a process was binding, a satisfactory solution would be forthcoming.

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