The Irish ARTS and Tourism Minister, Martin Cullen has requested planning permission from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for the redevelopment of a public park in South Dublin, turning it into a major national tourist attraction.

If the council agree with the proposed development, then the Southside based National College of Art and Design (NCAD) has said that it may build a satellite campus within the site with a faculty for ecological art and sculpture.

The Irish BBC garden designer, Diarmuid Gavin, has also confirmed that he would like to construct a school of gardening excellence in the area too.

This latest move is set to relieve the current strains on the tourist industry in Ireland, helping to regenerate the local economy; the park will feed other parts of the industry bringing more custom to the car rental, restaurant and hotel industries.