Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. I am responding on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence who cannot, unfortunately, be here today. He has asked me to convey his apologies. To be fair to the Senator, she has raised this matter on numerous occasions in this House, including in her Private Member's Bill.

As we all know, the Curragh, as State land vested in the Minister for Defence, is recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces, as well as being a place of historical and cultural importance, as Senator O'Loughlin rightly said. The main occupiers are the Defence Forces in the Curragh Camp, and the Curragh Racecourse, which leases a large tract of land. Additionally, the plains are used by sheep owners, who avail of rights of pasture on the lands, and by locals and visitors to Kildare as a major natural amenity. We all love the Curragh and have a strong affinity with it.

As the Senator rightly said, the Curragh is approximately 4,870 acres and is one of the most open and accessible areas in the country. While I would not wish to see this level of accessibility diminished, as a public representative from the locality, I know the Senator is acutely aware this has presented several challenges for the management of illegal camping and illegal dumping, as she rightly said. Last year saw many illegal encampments set up over the summer months, which caused a great deal of disruption and anxiety to everybody. The Department of Defence does not accept that those occupying these encampments have any right to reside on the Curragh Plains and, as such, has engaged with the Chief State Solicitor's office, CSSO, in anticipation of any potential trespassing to ensure all legal steps are taken promptly to protect the plains. In the case of trespass or criminal damage, it is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána to police the situation and my Department has engaged with the force on this issue.

In terms of addressing the challenges in the long term, the Department of Defence is working to ensure we move to a modern and sustainable regulatory model in managing this historically important landscape. As the Senator will be aware, the Department of Defence has been collaborating with Kildare County Council for several years on the Curragh consultancy project, seeking to develop a suitable future management method and to highlight the importance and significance of the heritage associated with the Curragh Plains. The project came to completion in December 2024 when the Curragh Plains conservation management plan and the associated branding, interpretation and wayfinding strategy were published by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin. The consultation process identified the need for a review of the Curragh by-laws and the Curragh of Kildare Act 1961 and potential amendments to provide effective solutions to challenges faced. The report also identified the need to consider, as the Senator said, a new dedicated agency to be responsible for the Curragh or to assign responsibility for the site to an existing agency with the necessary expertise to maximise the potential of the plains.

Throughout the project, the Department of Defence and Kildare County Council remained cognisant of the need to have in place a means of ensuring the conservation of this ancient landscape, while also enabling the area to receive the recognition it deserves.The plan has laid out opportunities by means of which the area can be uniquely identified and has also scoped out the development potential of the area as a high-value visitor attraction. It also aims to balance the needs of the respective users of the Curragh Plains while caring for its natural qualities, providing clear policies for its sustainable future use. The Government is committed to the implementation of these recommendations to address the opportunities and challenges, as can be seen by its inclusion in the programme for Government.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this issue repeatedly and for her advocacy and work on the matter in the Chamber. I assure her it is the intention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to ensure that the Curragh Plains, as an important element of our shared heritage, are protected, while also ensuring maximum benefit for the local population and for those who come to visit the area.