Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to ensure a permanent State-owned access to Castletown House; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45695/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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It continues to be the strategic objective of the Office of Public Works to reunite all of the lands, where they become available, of the former Castletown estate. The Office of Public Works remains open to negotiations with the landowners to purchase all or that part of the subject lands. In line with a commitment the Minister gave to the Working Group, he met with the owners to discuss this further. Further engagement between the Office of Public Works and the landowner is ongoing.

As part of the policy to seek to reunite the historic Castletown demesne lands with the house and lands in the care of the State, the Office of Public Works has sought on several occasions to purchase the lands in question, including when the lands were offered for sale on the open market in 2022. However, despite the very best efforts of the Office of Public Works, the State was outbid in the open market process and, ultimately, the lands were acquired by a private purchaser.

The Minister has also met with the residents on another access point along with the Chairman of the Office of Public Works to see if that could be a resolution for temporary staff access to maintain Castletown House and grounds. This engagement will continue with these residents on the matter.

While, if agreement can be reached, this would resolve the issue of temporary staff access, the Minister and the Office of Public works continue to engage on finding broader solutions to access to the Castletown estate this matter. The Minister and the Office of Public Works want to find a solution for visitor parking and are continuing to consider and work on all options, including the M4 access. The Office of Public Works are also working on a potential parking solution with the Kildare Innovation Campus. The Office of Public Works hope to begin some topographical work on this site in the next number of weeks to assess the most appropriate way forward for access.

The Office of Public Works are in ongoing intensive engagement with the Office of the Attorney General, in order to have the most comprehensive and up-to-date legal advices available to it on access routes to the estate and rights of way. This is a priority for the Minister and the Office of Public Works.

I am keenly aware that all stakeholders want to see Castletown House and estate, and the Office of Public Works team, welcoming both visitors and the local community to enjoy all that Castletown has to offer. I and senior management in the Office of Public Works are committed to working with all stakeholders to find a resolution here.