David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister to the House. I have tabled this Adjournment matter to try to discover what plans the Office of Public Works has for the Mount Congreve Estate in Waterford.

The Minister may be aware that in 1979, an agreement was reached between the State and Mr. Ambrose Congreve, who was the owner of the house and gardens that comprise the Mount Congreve Estate. The arrangement was that on the death of Mr. Congreve, which occurred a number of years ago, the estate would be managed by a trust involving three trustees, one of which would be the Commissioners of Public Works. After a transitional period of 21 years, the freehold and ownership would then transfer to the Minister for Finance, after which the State, through the Minister for Finance, would own the house and gardens. Enormous tourism potential exists because this is a highly attractive and world-renowned garden and a plan certainly should be developed for it. Approximately 15 horticultural staff are employed there full-time, to keep the gardens to a very high standard and they are concerned, as am I, about the long-term future of the house and its gardens. It is necessary to ensure that a plan is put in place and in so doing, all the stakeholders must be brought together. I consider the stakeholders to include the Mount Congreve Estate Trust, which is comprised of the three trustees, including the Commissioners of Public Works. It must also involve the Congreve Foundation, which essentially derives from the proceeds of Mr. Ambrose Congreve's estate and is funding the continuation of the payment of the staff wages at present, as well as the Office of Public Works itself and Waterford County Council.

I seek to explore what plans the Office of Public Works has and what actions will be taken to bring together all these groups to draw up long-term and short-term plans for the house and the gardens to exploit the existing tourism potential and to ensure the jobs in the house and gardens are safeguarded. I will listen to what the Minister has to say because the essential purpose of raising this matter on the Adjournment was not to give the Minister a history lesson - I am sure she is aware of the garden's history - but to explore what precisely the Office of Public Works is considering and what will be the plans. As I mentioned, there is huge tourism potential and as it is a facility that will be in public ownership, there is a responsibility on the State to ensure that what is a world-renowned garden is kept up to the highest standard and that the potential offered by this splendid house and garden is maximised for the people of Waterford and the State.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In 1979 an agreement was reached between the State and Mr. Ambrose Congreve whereby, in exchange for tax concessions, Mr. Congreve placed his house and world-renowned gardens into a trust with ownership of both reverting to the Minister for Finance on the expiration of the trust periods. The trust is irrevocable and the trust properties are divided into two, the gardens and the mansion house and its demesne, with both having different trust periods. The trust periods commenced following the death of Mr. Congreve last year. The gardens, which are approximately 66 acres, will remain in the trust for a period of 21 years after the death of Mr. Congreve. The mansion house and its demesne, which is approximately 5 acres, will remain in the trust for a longer period and will, in all likelihood, not revert to the Minister for Finance until 2059.

The trust, which is known as the Mount Congreve Garden Trust, currently has three trustees. The Commissioners of Public Works are a minority trustee and the other two trustees were appointed by Mr. Congreve. These trustees are also representatives of Mr. Congreve's estate, which is known as the Congreve Foundation. The Commissioners of Public Works are in detailed discussions with the Congreve Foundation on a number of issues, which include the membership of the trust, the future management and staffing of the trust properties, and the purchase of additional lands for the benefit of the trust. The Commissioners have indicated they would like to become majority trustees of the Mount Congreve Garden Trust for the State to be allowed greater control over the management of the trust properties. The other trustees have signalled that they would, in principle, be willing to retire from the trust as part of an overall agreement.

The Senator raised issues regarding the staff. At present, the staff employed in the gardens are employed by the Congreve Foundation. Once an agreement is in place, employment of the staff will transfer from the foundation to the trust. I assure Members that the future welfare of the staff is of paramount concern to the stakeholders. However, it is important to note that until the trust period expires, it will be the trust and not the State which employs the staff. Likewise, it is important to note that, at present, it is the trust and not the State which will manage the trust properties. Their future management is being discussed by the trustees and these talks should be concluded in the near future. I should also highlight that a third party recently approached the trustees with an offer of a commercial arrangement which may be of immediate benefit to the trust properties and would focus on their tourism potential. These talks are at an early stage and will be progressed. It is envisaged that once the trust period for the gardens expires and they revert to the full ownership of the State, they will be managed as part of the National Botanic Gardens.

The lands that were included within the trust deed are integral to the setting of the house and gardens. However, additional lands are needed for the provision of modern visitor facilities and to ensure adequate car and bus parking. Likewise, while the trust deed granted various rights of way to the trustees over lands owned by the Congreve Foundation to ensure access and the provision of supplies of water and utilities to the trust properties, it would be preferable for the trust to have direct control over them. For these reasons, the Commissioners of Public Works have been in negotiations with the Congreve Foundation with a view to purchasing additional lands to be able to control fully access and to future-proof the trust properties in respect of car parking, visitor services and future expansion. These lands adjoin the trust properties and front onto the current public road system. They would allow for unfettered control of access and egress by the public to the trust properties and would ensure that in the future, the trust properties would be able to link into the public water supply and utilities without having to revert to rights of way. Negotiations between the parties have been ongoing for a number of months and a third-party valuer was jointly instructed to issue a non-binding valuation. While an agreement has yet to be reached, it is hoped that a solution will be forthcoming. I hope this information has been helpful to the Senator.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister and note her response has been very positive. I welcome the discussions under way to enable the Commissioners of Public Works to take a majority stake in the overall trust, as well as their acceptance that they then will manage the estate until it goes into public ownership. They also agree the third-party option of a commercial enterprise that would develop the tourism potential should be explored fully and hopefully this also will materialise. I commend the Minister on a very good response. It appears as though progress is being made on this issue and that the full tourism potential of these splendid gardens will materialise for the people of Waterford and beyond.