Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I got involved in politics, I was chairperson of the Lough Key Forest Park action group. Lough Key Forest Park is beside Boyle in County Roscommon and is a wonderful amenity. At the time, Coillte owned the park, but it could not draw down investment from Europe because it was a semi-State body. We came up with the idea that the local authority would get involved. By setting up Moylurg Rockingham DAC, Roscommon County Council and Coillte were able to draw down €20 million and we now have a state-of-the-art tourist facility in Lough Key Forest Park, with tree canopy walks and Boda Borg. It is one of the major tourist attractions in the country.

It has now come to my notice that McDermott Castle in Castleisland, a fairy-tale castle and one of the most impressive in the country, is for sale now on BidX1 at a guide price of €90,000. I do not know why it was in private ownership, but this is a wonderful chance for the State, whether the Office of Public Works, OPW, or Moylurg Rockingham DAC, to buy that island. It is in the interests of the community and the country because it is part of our physical history. I have written to the Minister asking that the OPW would investigate purchasing this island. It will not be lived in, but it is part of our historical amenities. Maybe the OPW could talk to Moylurg Rockingham and come to an arrangement whereby it could also be bought by it. Either way, this castle should be in the hands of the State, or the people of our country, and it makes a lot of sense.