Seanad debates
Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Office of Public Works
1:00 pm
Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State.
Vincent P Martin (Green Party)
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I thank Deputy O’Donnell for his attendance in Seanad Éireann and congratulate him on his recent appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. It is appreciated that he has reached out to and met all the Kildare North Oireachtas Members. We hope he can help break the logjam, with a new set of eyes injecting and instilling a fresh approach and, if you like, a type of cold-case review. He will no doubt be aware all Oireachtas Members in Kildare North have adopted a non-party political approach, united in the sole purpose of achieving a resolution for all.
Castletown House is an 18th-century, neo-Palladian country house built within an extensive estate. In 1994, the OPW took on responsibility for both the house and the estate. Initially, this included only 13 acres of land, including the house. It has long been the policy of the OPW to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate and, as the Minister of State is no doubt aware, in 1997, 100 acres south of the house was acquired. The farmyard adjacent to the house was acquired in 2001 and in 2006, the lands associated with the Batty Langley Lodge were acquired, as were former Coillte lands to the north and east of the house in 2007. Since 2008, the OPW has reassembled, and fair play to it, 227 acres of the original 580 acres of land that forms part of the historic demesne. It is well documented, however, that last year, 235 acres of the Castletown lands was sold on the open market, with the Office of Public Works outbid in its efforts to reunite these lands. The OPW is repeatedly on record as stating it is willing to purchase the lands at a fair price - I presume that means the market value - but the problem is that, to date, an agreement to purchase the lands has not been reached, which is very frustrating.
This is clearly the long-term, permanent solution. Let us put the landowners' bona fides to the test. Will the Minister of State please reactivate a meaningful dialogue as soon as possible to achieve both short-term access solutions and the long-term resolution? Will he also help restore trust, which has been fractured, between the OPW and the local community? His presence on the ground and a hands-on approach have the potential to be a catalyst for good. Celbridge has in recent years experienced a large increase in population and desperately needs more recreational amenities, yet it is enduring restriction after restriction in respect of access to these lands. One of the local community's pro bono legal advisers, the lawyer Peter Paul Hughes, is on record as stating that the recognised, standard and tried-and-tested process of a green valuation needs to be fully utilised and exhausted and that that not only needs to be done but that it needs to be seen to have been done.That process involves two independent valuers being appointed and a price being agreed.
At a recent public meeting, Councillor Nuala Killeen summed it up when she stated that there is not a snowball's chance of county councillors rezoning amenity lands on these historic grounds to allow for residential development. Celbridge is starved of adequate and proper recreational and sporting facilities. I hope the Minister of State's recent appointment will instil new hope and that his input will break the logjam.
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Martin for his interest in Castletown House and estate. Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW just last Wednesday, I have heard from Members representing Kildare North how important Castletown House and estate are and how much the communities enjoy and value them, and we have met. More broadly, Castletown House is of international importance as a result of its built heritage and collections.
The OPW took ownership of Castletown House and estate in 1994. While this initially only involved 13 acres, it has long been the policy of the OPW to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate. That remains OPW and Government policy. In 1997, 100 acres south of the house was acquired. The farmyard adjacent to the house was acquired in 2001. In 2006, lands associated with the Batty Lodge were acquired. Former Coillte lands to the north and east of the house were acquired in 2007. Since 2008, the OPW has reassembled 227 acres of the original 580 acres of land that formed the historic demesne.
Much of the original demesne lands acquired over the years were in poor condition. The OPW has worked to open up the lands and restore many of the landscape features, particularly the historic network of pathways across the estate and the vista towards Conolly's Folly. The restoration of the historic pathways began in 2007. There has also been a concerted effort to manage the estate for biodiversity. The landscape managed by the OPW is an exemplar site for the all-Ireland pollinator plan, with some grasslands of annex I quality under the EU habitats directive. Extensive pollinator surveys have been conducted and have identified a large number of bumblebee, butterfly, hoverfly and solitary bee species. Other studies have recorded a high diversity of tree and bird and other invertebrate species. The landscape is of high value to grassland plants regionally due to the increasingly urban nature of the surrounding landscape.
In 2007, the OPW worked with the owner of the adjacent lands to develop an entrance and carpark from the M4 slipway. This removed traffic from the environs of the house. The lands encompassing the new access and carpark were retained in private ownership and were used by the OPW under licence from the landowner, Janus Securities. As part of the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown demesne lands with the house and lands in the care of the State, the OPW has sought on several occasions to purchase the lands in question from Janus Securities, including when the lands were offered for sale on the open market in 2022. However, despite the very best efforts of the OPW, the State was outbid in the open market process and, ultimately, the lands were acquired by a private purchaser. The OPW sought to make a new agreement with the new landowner but this was not successful despite substantial negotiations to agree a licence agreement, multiple offers to purchase all or part of the private landholdings and a mediation process last September which resulted in no outcome.
Vehicular access has not been available to OPW staff since September 2023 from the M4 slipway. While the private owner of the access road from the M4 continued to allow members of the public to continue to use this carpark, they withdrew permission for the OPW staff to cross their private lands. My predecessor as Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, set up the Castletown House and estate stakeholders working group to address issues of access to Castletown House and estate and the reunification of the historic demesne of Castletown House. This working group has been meeting since October 2023. The group includes representatives of the community and all of the local political representatives and Oireachtas representatives in the area. The group has met many times. However, in spite of the significant efforts by all members, it is disappointing for everyone that more progress has not been made.Despite this genuine engagement by all Members, it remains that there continues to be no vehicular access for OPW staff to Castletown House and estate. This is impacting the community by reduced opening hours for access to the estate. I know that all elected representatives understand the importance of Castletown House as the most popular visitor attraction in Kildare. The importance of the wider estate for biodiversity and habitats is another important visitor attraction. The tearooms that were used extensively by both visitors and the local community remain closed.
I have no doubt that there is a strong commitment by the community, OPW, locally elected councillors and the Members of these Houses, to find a resolution. I will work, and I have made that commitment to the Oireachtas Members to date, to support a resolution to all challenges.
I understand that recently planning permission was granted for the carpark located on the privately owned lands that is accessed from the M4. While the grant of this planning is noted, it will take some time to understand the impact of it and the OPW is currently studying same.
I wish to reassure Senator Martin that I remain committed, as does the OPW, to find a resolution. Castletown House and its estate is a landmark public amenity. I remain committed to working with the Oireachtas Members, local councillors and, more particularly, the community groups in the area to find a resolution to this particular issue.
Vincent P Martin (Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I commend the OPW on the work that it has done to open up the lands and restore many of the landscape features, particularly the historic network of pathways across the State, as mentioned by the Minister of State. There has also been a concerted effort, as stated by the Minister of State, to manage the estate from a biodiversity perspective. I would like to place on the record my gratitude for that most important work.
Does the Minister of State accept that the long-term solution is to reunite the lands? One would expect getting the chequebook out would be the difficult part but the Office of Public Works has said that it is willing to buy it at a fair price at market value. That is the long-term permanent solution. Of course short-term remedies must be delivered as soon as possible but the long-term solution is a fantastic outcome for all. I hope the Minister of State can hit the ground running in his new post, as he has done, and let us deliver, not just for Kildare but for Ireland, this jewel in the crown of our heritage.
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. Obviously, I note how committed the Senator, other Oireachtas Members, councillors and, more particularly, the community groups in the area are to this issue.
The OPW has long had the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown estate. That remains OPW policy. As things stands, the OPW is committed to resolving, as I am, the issues of staff accessing the manor and respects the interests of our staff and the local community while at the same time believing in our responsibility to preserve and maintain this important heritage site. We want to see it reopened but we are very cognisant of the particular issues that arise at the moment. I want to work in a collaborate way with everyone to seek a resolution and I am working on that with my Department and the OPW.
Recent developments, through the working of a pilot scheme, highlight the complexity involved in finding a balanced solution that addresses the needs of all stakeholders. I believe all stakeholders want to see Castletown House and estate, and the OPW's team, welcoming both visitors and the local community to enjoy the fine weather and long evenings of the summer. I can see that there is clearly a broad desire to find a resolution here. The OPW and I are committed to working with all stakeholders to find a resolution both in terms of the initial situation and the long-term desire as well.