THE Minister for Arts and Culture, Mr Higgins, has said he wants to hear the widest possible range of views before deciding whether to sanction a proposed land swap involving part of the Killarney National Park.
The Castlerosse Hotel in Killarney is seeking approval for an arrangement whereby it would cede 23.4 acres of woodland to the park in exchange for 22.7 acres of State owned pasture on which it hopes to build a nine hole golf course.
The deal was first suggested more than a year ago by the golf course designer, Dr Arthur Spring, a brother of the Tanaiste, after his original plan to develop the woodland area ran into strong opposition from conservationists.
The Killarney Nature Conservation Group had opposed the detraction of almost six acres of woodland at Knockreer. "Ironically, Dr Spring is now proclaiming the ecological worth of this area," said Mr Jim O'Malley, of the KNCG.
However, he said he believed the deal would create a "dangerous precedent", encouraging other developers to seek land within the park. Instead, his group wants the State to acquire the woodland for incorporation into the park.
Mr O'Malley pointed out that the land which the Castlerosse Hotel was seeking had been designated as a proposed Natural Heritage Area because of its importance as a traditional grazing ground for Killarney's herd of red deer.
But Mr Pat Sommers, project manager for the Castlerosse Hotel, described the proposed land swap as a "reasonable compromise" and said the people of Killarney were being extensively consulted before any final decision was made.
