Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that existing public amenities available at Donadea Forest Park, County Kildare, will continue to remain available to the public in the aftermath of any sale of harvesting rights at the forest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5189/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the importance of Donadea Forest Park as a recreational amenity in North Kildare. With reference to the Government decision, in the context of the asset disposal programme, that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be put forward for sale, substantial work has been undertaken to date on the identification of the forestry assets involved, the determination of their value and the consideration of a number of issues associated with the proposed sale of the harvesting rights. Public access to recreational land is one of the issues so identified which requires detailed consideration. The outcome of the overall analysis will be considered by the Government upon its conclusion and no decision has been taken, as yet. I wish to assure the Deputy that any sale will take account of public access to recreational land.