Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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260. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the proposal by the Office of Public Works to erect a fence around all or part of Castletown demesne, Celbridge, County Kildare (details supplied); if he will provide details of any plan or proposal for the future development of Castletown demesne to control or restrict 24 hour access to the immediate environs of Castletown, including an intention to develop Castletown House, or Castletown demesne, or parts of that demesne along the lines of the development of Farmleigh; if he will provide details of the OPW proposal to put a fence around all or part of Castletown demesne, including the locations and lines of such a fence, including maps; the height and construction of such a fence; the estimated cost of installation of such a fence; the estimated annual cost of maintenance of such a fence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55316/13]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Castletown House demesne is open to the public every day of the year by way of the Celbridge gate between 6.45 a.m. and 19.45 p.m. from October to March, between 6.45 a.m. to 21.15 p.m. in the months of April and September and between 6.45 a.m. and 22.15 p.m. from May to August. These opening hours are displayed on the gate.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) has confirmed publicly that the desmesne is open to the public all year round. Reference has been made in correspondence to Farmleigh but only for comparison purposes as it is a similar State owned asset. There are no plans to replicate at Castletown the property improvements undertaken at Farmleigh over the past number of years.

There are no detailed current plans to erect fencing at Castletown. However entry onto the desmesne outside the times referred to above, which essentially means the hours of darkness, by persons intent on anti-social behaviour, is of great concern and it is the primary objectives of the OPW to protect the already considerable State investment at Castletown and the health and safety of members of the public entering onto the property. It is entirely impractical from a financial perspective to provide sufficient warden service on a 24 hour basis to this end. The OPW concerns are shared by Kildare County Council and discussions are ongoing between both organisations on how best these concerns can be addressed. Appropriate measures may include fencing proposals but no decision has as yet been taken in this regard.