Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the engagement between his Department and Kildare County Council regarding ongoing land management and maintenance of the Curragh plains. [43213/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Both the Department of Defence and Kildare County Council are members of the Curragh Forum which was established in March 2016 and provides "stakeholders with an opportunity for the consideration / progress of a wide range of issues regarding the use, management and long term development of the Curragh Plains".

My Department met with Kildare County Council on 18 September 2018 to discuss the vision paper commissioned by the Council reflecting on the potential of the Curragh Plains and to highlight some of the challenges currently faced in the management of the Plains.

The Department and Kildare County Council are currently exploring the potential for collaboration on addressing issues and identifying opportunities for the improved management and presentation of the Plains. These plans will take account of necessary military requirements of the Defence Forces.

To this end, the Department has confirmed its support of Kildare County Council's recent application for funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development, to appoint a multidisciplinary consultancy team in order to examine the current and future challenges arising for the Curragh Plains in the context of the conservation and management of the Curragh Plains and the scope for branding and the development potential as a high value visitor and cultural amenity attraction.