§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) dog attacks have been reported and (b) complaints have been received by the Department of Environment regarding dogs in and around the grounds of Kirkistown Castle in the last 12 months; whether the land, lane leading to, and the grounds in which Kirkistown Castle lies are the property of the Department of Environment; and what action has been taken to prevent dogs from adjoining properties roaming in and around the grounds of the Castle. [126256]
§ Angela SmithKirkistown Castle, and the land on which it is sited, was acquired by the government in 1968. The site is now owned by the Department of the Environment and managed by the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS). To allow public access to the Castle, a legal right of way over the lane leading to the site was established when it was acquired. The lane also provides access to a privately owned house, adjacent to the Castle site. The boundary of the site owned by the Department has been fenced in accordance with the terms set out in the acquisition documents. This fencing is believed to be dog-proof.
EHS has no record of receiving from the public any reported incidents of attacks or other complaints about dogs in or around the Castle grounds in the last 12 months. Its own tour guide reported an incident involving herself on 17 July 2003 and this is now under investigation
The Castle is open to the public on a limited basis during July and August each year, when a tour guide is on site. Outside these months, signage identifies the Castle as being managed by EHS and provides a telephone number so that visitors can contact the local warden, (based at Scrabo Country Park), should they encounter any problems relating to the site.