Around €500,000 in damage was inflicted on vehicles and facilities used by the Office of Public Works at a site facilitating access to Castletown House in Co Kildare.
Four vehicles were overturned, a construction vehicle ended up in a river, and wires on four CCTV units were damaged during the Bank Holiday weekend.
Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran termed the incident as “shocking and unacceptable,” with an ongoing investigation led by Gardaí.
The OPW has reported previous incidents at Donaghcumper House, including fire damage to structures and facilities from 22 April to 30 April.
A stand-off has persisted over local access to the heritage site, with locals maintaining a presence at the entrance while OPW staff have been largely absent for most of the past year. Two local groups have opposed OPW service vehicles using the old avenue to the house after access from the M4 was blocked.
