Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 784: To ask the Minister for Transport if he visited a GAA club (details supplied) in County Carlow during July 2005; if so, the purpose of the visit; the action he undertook as a result of the visit; if he directly or through his office spoke to the NRA; and if so, the nature of the discussions arising from his visit to the club. [24860/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Following representations, on behalf of Tinryland GFC by Deputy M.J. Nolan, I paid a courtesy visit to the club in July 2005. My visit provided an opportunity for the club committee to brief me on the impact on the club's facilities resulting from the compulsory purchase of 0.6 of an acre of club property for the N9-N10 Waterford-Dublin inter-urban route.

Prior to my visit to the club I had been informed by the NRA that the compensation in respect of the CPO had been the subject of a lengthy meeting on 20 June 2005 between club representatives and officials of Kildare County Council and the NRA. The county council-NRA had advised the club at this meeting that independent arbitration was available under the CPO procedure to come to a binding determination of the compensation due where parties fail to agree. In an effort to progress the matter, Kildare County Council and the NRA offered to have the council's valuers reassess the compensation proposed. The club property would be re-inspected as part of this process.

On my visit I encouraged the club committee to accept this offer and pursue this course of action. Apart from my Department informing the NRA of my visit and of my advice to the club members to pursue the county council-NRA offer of a further inspection neither I nor my Department has been in contact with the NRA about this issue, which is a matter for Kildare County Council and the NRA.