Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he can advise on any proposals he has to develop the Liffey Valley Area in North Kildare and West Dublin, in particular the lands in and around the Liffey Valley special amenity area, into a National Park or other reserved area of national amenity under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21693/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I understand from my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, that parts of the Liffey Valley are already covered by special designations. The area between Chapelizod and Lucan is protected by a Special Area Amenity Order and part of the Valley has also been identified as a proposed Natural Heritage Area.

I further understand that some years ago the Office of Public Works, in association with Dublin City Council and Fingal, Kildare and South Dublin County Councils, commissioned consultants to draw up a strategy for the Liffey Valley, resulting in the strategy document Towards a Liffey Valley Park, which was published in November 2006. The document set out a strategy to provide an integrated management framework for the Liffey Valley, and to create a process towards the establishment of a Liffey Valley Park which would be composed of a necklace of publicly owned spaces within this area. Accordingly, it would appear that the implementation of the steps to bring a park into existence in this area is primarily a matter for the local authorities concerned. The report did not recommend the designation of the Liffey Valley as a National Park.