National park funding and maintenance
The Minister listed 1986 maintenance allocations for Killarney, Glenveagh and Connemara parks, plus European funding for Glenveagh building works. McEllistrim raised concerns about declining upkeep and possible layoffs; Doyle said funding should meet this year’s needs and that redundancies were not envisaged in most cases.
asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money being spent in each national park this year in Killarney, Glenveagh and Letterfrack.
Comment on this
The allocations for the maintenance of these national parks in 1986 are of the following order:— Killarney National Park, £800,000; Glenveagh National Park (including Glebe Gallery), £660,000; Connemara (Letterfrack National Park), £190,000. In addition an estimated amount of £600,000 has been allocated from the European Regional Development Fund — Non Quota Section — for building works at Glenveagh National Park, including the Glebe Gallery property.
Comment on this
The maintenance and upkeep of these national parks have deteriorated considerably since the present Government took over. I am thankful to the Minister of State for the figures she has given today, but I would like to ask her would she give an assurance that during her term in the Office of Public Works she will try to ensure that there will be better maintenance and upkeep and that none of the workers will be laid off in any of the national parks as has happened over the past three years?
Comment on this
All I am in a position to assure the Deputy is that I shall have a particular interest in the future of our national parks, as I know my predecessor in office had. In most cases no redundancies are envisaged this summer and it is the view that the money allocated will be sufficient to meet the needs of parks this year.