Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to hear that the conservation management plan is due to be submitted to the Department and Kildare County Council in the coming weeks. Obviously there will be a plan around the potential development of the plains. While the study is scheduled to be completed in June 2022, I am not sure that we should seek the deadline to be extended because we need action sooner rather than later.

Earlier I mentioned the illegal encampment. In the coming weeks I will re-introduce a Bill, which I introduced in the Dáil, to ban any encampment on this key site without a licence. Will the Minister of State support my Bill? I also ask the Minister and the Minister of State present to support the notion of the Curragh receiving national protection as a national heritage park and that we consider submitting an application for protective status to UNESCO.

I accept that the Minister of State is here on behalf of the Minister for Defence and to read the speaking note that was provided. However, as the Minister of State is a Deputy who represents Kildare, I ask that he supports all that I have asked.