The National Park and Wildlife Service has confirmed that it has bought more land beside Killarney National Park.
The NPWS was responding to a claim made by Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae.
The uplift petition calling on the state to buy the 1,400-acre site at the Conor Pass has close to 12,000 signatures. Opposing the idea of the state getting involved in setting up a new national park Deputy Healy Rae said that the state is now competing with farmers for land.
He said there were reports that plots of land in Kilgarvan as well as the Black Valley had been purchased by the Department. In response to the claim, the National Parks and Wildlife Service confirmed to Radio Kerry that in recent weeks that it has purchased land at Gearhameen in the Black Valley
The land in question is situated beside Killarney National Park and forms part of the MacGillycuddy Reeks, Killarney National Park and Caragh river catchment Special Area of Conservation.
According to the statement the land 'is mountainous in nature and the mosaic of natural habitats on site present a very positive conservation opportunity for the NPWS.'
