I apologise. I understood it was available. However, "oidhreacht" should not be seen as a purely passive concept; it can also be an instrument of economic development if the linkages between development and the social and cultural patterns of the community are sensitively made. This can be achieved by building an awareness among the Irish people of heritage and by making them confident and able to tell the story of the wonder of their own place.
This is a kind of generic heritage or cultural policy which has an undoubtedly beneficial economic consequence. This is my approach to heritage. It is not simply a matter of seeing these places as tourist centres or magnets but rather as places of immense interest which people locally know and respect and want to share with others. This has a shared economic and intellectual benefit.
This Bill should be viewed in the context of the establishment of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht with its broad role in relation to culture and heritage. In relation to the development of policy, the central role of my Department will be to decentralise the implementation of that policy. Certaintly, An Chomhairle Oidhreachta will have an important role under the provisions of this Bill in contributing to the development of heritage policy. In relation to other areas of my Department I also intend to proceed down the road of decentralisation of policy implementation and in this connection I hope to shortly introduce a Museum and Library Bill. The intention of that Bill will be to give a degree of independence to the National Museum and to the National Library. Of course, the Office of Public Works will continue to have responsibility for the day-to-day care and management of particular aspects of the physical heritage, but, as the Deputy will know, development of heritage policy is my responsibility.
While it has not been included in the title of my Department, when the word "heritage"— or, more accurately, the Irish word "oidhreacht" is taken in its modest sense, it could be said to embrace all the work of my Department. In other words, it is that which binds it together. It includes all those elements of Irish life today which have survived from the past and whose continuing survival into future generations depends on the attitudes and actions of the present. Ensuring the protection of the Irish heritage in all its aspects and providing access to this heritage for all sectors of the population are central planks of my policy.
It is necessary, however, in dealing with this broad heritage area to be realistic, requiring for practical purposes the division of the difficult elements by category. For instance, for the Irish language we have Bord na Gaeilge, for the arts we have An Chomhairle Ealaíon and with the establishment of An Chomhairle Oidhreachta we will have covered the physical heritage. I have established within my Department a heritage policy unit which includes an archaeologist, an architectural historian and an ecologist. In addition to producing initiatives and overseeing the implementation of policy, an important function of that unit will be the processing of the advice from An Chomhairle Oidhreachta, producing practical policy statements and legislative proposals.
Ó bunaíodh í sa bhliain 1988 ar bhonn neamh-reachtúil, tá obair shuntasach i ndáil leis an oidhreacht déanta ag an gComhairle Náisiúnta Oidhreachta atá ann faoi láthair, ní amháin ó thaobh pholasaí agus an ról comhairleoireachta atá aici ach freisin maidir le cúnamh deontais a chur ar fáil go díreach. Ar ndóigh, is mór agam an obair fhíór-thábhachtach atá curtha i gcrích ag an gcomhairle go dáta.
The functions assigned to the National Heritage Council on its appointment in 1988 were to formulate policies and priorities; to identify, protect, preserve, enhance and increase awareness of Ireland's heritage in the specific areas of archaeology, architecture, flora, fauna, landscape, heritage gardens and inland waterways; to promote among the general public an interest and pride in our heritage and to facilitate the appreciation and enjoyment of it, to work closely with and make recommendations to Government Departments, planning authorities, public bodies and State companies on all matters coming within the council's general area of responsibility; to ensure the co-ordination of all activities in the heritage field; to decide on the distribution of moneys allocated for heritage work subject to the approval of the Minister and to decide on the priorities for such expenditure.
