Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 509: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of land that he recently purchased in County Wicklow; the exact location of this land; the cost of this land; the persons who previously owned the land; the implications for local landowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22383/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In accordance with the strategies outlined in the Management Plan for Wicklow Mountains National Park 2005-2009, my Department recently purchased from Curraghmore Estates, the fee simple, sporting rights and certain grazing rights in 7,107 acres of land in County Wicklow at a cost of €4,500,000. The land, situated west of the Wicklow Gap and on either side of the Laragh to Hollywood Road (R756), is spread over the townlands of Ballyknockan (364 acres), Ballynastockan (647 acres), Granamore (1,119 acres), Knocknadroose (2,147 acres), Oakwood (876 acres) & Glenbride (1,954 acres). The purchased lands also include a further 29% share of 742 acres of commonage in Glenbride townland. A total of sixty one existing grazing rights will be unaffected by the change of ownership. In addition, as the lands have had Special Area of Conservation status since 1997, no new implications arise for local landowners as a result of ownership being transferred to the State.