Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will direct the National Parks and Wildlife Service to study the proposal to create a national park in the wilderness areas of Howth peninsula in view of development pressures and the 1 million visitors to the peninsula each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8549/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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It would appear that no proposal to create a National park in the wilderness area of Howth Peninsula has been submitted to the Department. If the Deputy would like to send one into me I will have my officials examine it.  However, it must be noted that all Irish National Parks are fully state-owned and meet category II of the IUCN standard for national parks. There is a minimum size associated with such designations and it is unlikely that this estate would qualify. There are no plans to designate the area in question as a National Park. Howth Head is already afforded statutory protections in respect of developments within the designated Howth Head SAC and Howth Head Coast SPA.