The best opportunity to conserve a unique part of the nation's heritage had been lost with yesterday's court ruling on the Great Blasket Island, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera, said.
The Minister, whose appeal of a High Court judgment led to yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, said she was disappointed by the outcome.
But Mr James Callery, one of the four owners of most of Great Blasket Island involved in the case, said he wanted to work with the State to improve tourist facilities there.
Mr Callery said suggestions that he intended to turn the island into a "honky-tonk land" were totally wrong and that it would be sacrilege to construct new buildings.
The island, which already has a restaurant and hostel accommodation part-owned by Mr Callery, has no pier or camping facilities. Mr Callery said this deterred old and disabled people from enjoying the island.
He said he would invest in developing a camping site and improving the island's sewerage system as well as continuing restoration work on up to six traditional houses which date back to the early 1900s, including the home of the Irish-language author Peig Sayers.
"After the court ruling, we all know where we stand in this situation. Maybe it would be possible with the State to look at the whole situation to help protect and make it a more amenable place," said Mr Callery, who is a major shareholder in the company which owns Strokestown Park, Co Roscommon.
He said it had looked very bad that the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, had "targeted" Great Blasket Island to be made a national historic park in 1989 while owning the adjoining island, Inishvickilaune, which he had "basically privatised" and built a house on.
He said he was glad the 10-year legal action had ended and there was "no point feeling embittered about it."