'Unprecedented' damage caused to OPW property in Kildare condemned

A Fine Gael TD for Kildare North has said that the “professional level” of criminal damage of state property caused at Donaghcumper House over the May bank holiday weekend is “unprecedented” for the OPW and is valued at circa €500,000 of taxpayer money.

Four vehicles were overturned, a construction vehicle was driven into a river, and wires on four CCTV units were cut on the lands of Donaghcumper House, Co Kildare over the bank holiday weekend.

The site is used as a base to transport staff to Castletown House in OPW vehicles.

“I was shocked to hear today of the extreme criminal damage to the OPW facilities, security cameras and vehicles at the Donaghcumper House area which was being used to transfer staff”, Deputy Joe Neville said this week.

“I have been working on a solution with several other groups to the impasse at Castletown House but in that time, we have never seen anything like this.”

Deputy Neville continued by saying “For me as a local TD it is incomprehensible that this could happen, and I hope the Gardai bring the perpetrators to task immediately”.

Deputy Neville asked that if anyone had any information that might be helpful with this case to pass it on at Leixlip or Celbridge Garda stations.

“This incident has shocked the communities of Celbridge, Leixlip and North Kildare and the nefarious nature of what has occurred has brought all the disparate groups around the issues of Castletown House together.

“A solution does need to be found and I will keep working with the Minister on this, actions like what happened at the weekend will not deter me from this.”

Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage at the site and their enquiries are ongoing.

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