asked the President whether the Government have considered the desirability of taking the necessary steps to have the Parks at Parnell Square and elsewhere in the city thrown open to the people of the surrounding congested areas; whether, if under the existing law there is no power to do this, he will introduce a short Bill empowering the Government to nationalise these parks; and whether he could undertake to have such a measure introduced so that the parks would be open to the public in time for the Tailteann Games in August next.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CITY PARKS.
The Squares to which the question refers were enclosed and are governed by bodies constituted under private Acts. Legislation would be necessary to transfer to the Government the property of those bodies which would also have to be compensated. The proposal is not one which could be dealt with hurriedly, and separate consideration would have to be given to the circumstances of each Square. I regret that in the existing congested state of public business, I can see no prospect of sufficient time being made available for giving to the proposal the mature consideration which it requires. In the case of Stephen's Green, Lord Ardilaun expended £50,000 of his own money in providing that for a park.