I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and thank him for being here to take this Commencement matter. In a way, this feels like Groundhog Day. Several times every single year I have to stand up and talk about the Curragh Plains and the illegal encampments there, causing all sorts of damage and stress. This year, despite previous commitments, I have to do so yet again and I will continue doing so to express the level of frustration people in the area who are impacted feel. This is an important matter regarding the management and protection of the Curragh Plains in County Kildare. It is something I have spoken about many times in this House and in the Lower House.

I know the Minister of State passes the Curragh on a weekly basis going to and coming from Cork. It is one of the most important and historic natural amenities in our country. It is deeply valued by the people of County Kildare and holds enormous environmental, sporting, military and cultural significance. Families, walkers, runners, local sporting clubs, golfers and the wider community cherish the Curragh and take enormous pride in it. It is of course the home of the military and of Curragh racing, as well as many trainers and sheep farmers. Unfortunately, illegal encampments on the Curragh have become a recurring issue that arises year after year, causing serious concern and frustration among those who use the plains. We had an encampment of 30 caravans three weeks ago. I welcome the fact action was taken and they are gone, but yet again last night I received information from residents in the area that another encampment has started. I received another message from the owner of a local bed and breakfast who has to close her business when this happens. It is simply not good enough.

In 2020, we had 19 encampments and bear in mind, an encampment can be anything up to 40 caravans. In 2021, there were 13; in 2022, there were 20; in 2023, there were 15; and in 2024, there were 25 encampments. The waste removal costs the taxpayer approximately €200,000 on an annual basis. That is a very significant sum of money.

Really excellent work was done between Kildare County Council and the Department of Defence on the future of the Curragh Plains where 3,500 respondents wrote in about their cares and concerns about the Curragh. Recommendations were made arising from that. We have yet to see them put in place. I take heart from the interest of the Taoiseach, who spoke on our local radio station, KFM, on Tuesday morning about his hopes that key plans would come before Cabinet within the next few months. It is complex because while this is with the Minister for Defence, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, are also involved and I have had conversations with all of them.

It is not just the visual appearance of the encampments that happen as there are major safety concerns. There have been reports of significant damage to the local golf club, and I have seen photographs of that. There has been dangerous and illegal driving of vehicles across the Curragh. There is, again, the large quantities of waste and rubbish. We need a very clear update on the management strategy for the Curragh and I really hope the Minister of State will be able to give some clarity and shed some light on timelines for this.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for again raising this matter. She is, to be fair, continually representing the views of people, including their frustration. I share her view that the management and protection of the Curragh Plains are all of our responsibility. I am taking the matter on behalf of the Minister for Defence who, unfortunately, cannot be present and asked me to convey her apologies. She is attending the PDFORRA conference. She asked me to respond on the matter and thank the Senator for raising it.

As the Senator has said, the Curragh, as State land, is vested in the Minister for Defence and is recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces, as well as being a place of historical and cultural importance, the main occupiers of which are the Defence Forces at the Curragh Camp and the Curragh Racecourse, which leases a large tract of land. In addition, the plains are used by sheep owners who avail of rights of pasture on the lands, which both locals and visitors to Kildare enjoy as a major natural amenity. The Curragh, as we know, is approximately 4,870 acres and is one of the most open and accessible areas in the country. While the Minister would not wish to see this level of accessibility diminished, I am aware the Senator, as a public representative from the area, is acutely aware that this has presented a number of challenges for management due to illegal camping and illegal dumping.

As the Senator rightly said, in 2025 we saw many illegal encampments set up over the course of the summer months which caused a great deal of disruption and anxiety to people living in the area and to business owners. The Senator has articulated that very strongly, not just this morning but repeatedly in this House and in the Lower House. The Department of Defence does not accept those occupying these encampments have any right to reside on the Curragh Plains and, as such, has been engaged with the Chief State Solicitor's office in anticipation of any potential trespassing to ensure all legal steps are taken promptly to protect the plains. A High Court Order was secured in June last year and served on the inhabitants of various illegal encampments to vacate the area. The majority left immediately and have not returned since. In the case of trespass or criminal damage, it is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána to police the situation and the Department of Defence has engaged with it on this issue. I am aware the Senator has spoken to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and has met the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. The Senator and the Acting Chairperson will be aware of the arrival of a number of illegal encampments last month, and indeed the Senator made reference to some this week as well, I think. I can confirm to the House that the Minister's officials have engaged promptly with their legal team to progress swift action in dealing with those. I am informed formal notices were served upon those in illegal encampments and, in the main, these were successful in encouraging those trespassing to move on. Those who remain in situ were the subject of an application to the High Court last week for injunctive relief. Officials will continue to pursue this.

As for addressing these challenges in the longer term, the Department of Defence is working to ensure we move to a modern and sustainable regulatory model for managing this historically important landscape. As the Senator has said, on foot of the recommendations contained in the report of two years ago on the Curragh conservation management plan, working with Kildare County Council, the Department is seeking to develop a suitable future management method and to highlight the importance and significance of the heritage associated with the Curragh Plains. I am aware the Senator has spoken to the Taoiseach and he has made reference to plans coming before the Cabinet soon. The report identified the need to consider a dedicated agency responsible for the Curragh or to assign responsibility for the site to an existing agency with the necessary expertise to maximise the potential of the plains. Department officials have been engaged with the National Parks and Wildfire Service and other agencies in this regard and that work is ongoing. The Minister is cognisant of the need to have in place a means of ensuring the conservation of this ancient landscape while also enabling the area to receive the recognition it deserves.

I will come back to the Senator on the other points to do with the matter, but I thank her for raising it.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I acknowledge the good intentions of the Minister. I also acknowledge those in the Department whom I have been liaising with. They are very prompt. They put in place the system that is currently there. However, it is not rectifying the problem because even when the court proceedings are issued, there is a period in which those who are there illegally can occupy that land, and during that period there is damage done and an awful lot of waste left there. While I acknowledge all that, I want to see clarity on the timeline needed in terms of the recommendations. I acknowledge the Department is working to ensure we move to a modern and sustainable regulatory model to make this important landscape protected and free from illegal encampments. It is the timeline we need at this stage. We need to see the Curragh protected, respected and properly maintained. It is a treasured amenity and needs to be preserved for future generations. What I want from the Minister of State is the timeline for the transfer of ownership, the new plan put in place and possibly the legislation I have introduced on illegal encampments enacted because it is clear the present system is not working and we need a different one.

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her comments. I thank her for accepting the bona fides and good intentions of the Minister. As she said, it is important we get this right. I have not got clarity on the timeline but I will bring her views back. I reassure her the Government is committed to the implantation of the recommendations in the plan to address both the opportunities and challenges. It is included in the programme for Government, which highlights its importance to the Government. I reiterate my thanks to the Senator for her work and assure her the Minister for Defence is working with the whole of Government to ensure the Curragh Plains, which are a treasured amenity, are protected in future while also maintaining the maximum benefit to the local population and those who use the plains as a place of recreation and work. A regulatory model that is both modern and sustainable is the desire of the Minister. The Department of Defence is working to implement the recommendations identified in the Curragh conservation management plan. I will bring the concerns and views articulated by Senator O'Loughlin back to the Minister and the Government. I look forward to working with her to ensure the plains are protected in future while ensuring the maximum benefit to all people who use it.

I thank the Minister of State.