The creation of a regional park for the Liffey Valley has moved a step closer with a decision by the Government to commission a study of the issues involved. Paul Cullen reports.
The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Tom Parlon, has instructed the Office of Public Works to carry out a "comprehensive study" of the management and development issues arising from the proposal.
According to Mr Parlon, the study will make detailed recommendations setting out how the objective of a national park might be achieved. It is expected to take six to eight months to complete and the final report will be published.
In a letter to the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, who is a TD for the area, Mr Parlon acknowledged that management of the Liffey Valley resource had been "fragmented" up to now, with control shared between a variety of local councils in counties Dublin and Kildare. As a result, the potential for greater public access and use was not being realised. The Liffey Valley Park Alliance, a coalition of local groups which has lobbied for the creation of the park, welcomed the decision. A spokesman, Mr Joe Byrne, said that at long last, the significance of the Liffey Valley was being recognised "at the highest level".
"Hopefully, this is the start of a process which will lead to the permanent conservation of this unique landscape, which has enormous potential in terms of the environment, commerce and tourism," he said.
Part of the valley east of Lucan was the subject of a Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO) in 1990, but the LVPA says this gives insufficient protection against development and needs to be extended.
While much of the valley is in private ownership, the alliance believes a national or regional park can be established which embraces both private and public ownership. Such a model has been created successfully in the case of the Lagan Valley park near Belfast, it says.