Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 20 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 3

Burren National Park Management Plan: Statements.

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. M. Higgins)

Tá áthas orm an deis seo a fháil chun ráiteas a dhéanamh sa Teach seo maidir leis an bPáirc Náisiúnta sa Bhoireann agus is mór liom go mbeidh ar mo chumas tuairimí na dTeachtaí i ndáil leis an ábhar seo a fháil.

The proposal to build a visitor centre near Mullaghmore was the subject of passionate controversy from the time it became public in 1990. The conservation bodies in the private sector as well as the National Heritage Council were ranged on one side in opposition to the proposal while the Office of Public Works was on the other side with many local supporters for the project. In retrospect one can see that a resolution was difficult in view of the absence of a proper context in which the differing arguments could be placed and coolly considered. In the absence of such a context the battle moved into the legal arena with no final decision still available. I emphasise that any proposals for the site at Mullaghmore are subject to the consent of the High Court.

In the meantime there were interesting court decisions leading to the enactment of emergency legislation and a change of practice whereby public authorities are now required to seek planning permission for their developments.

The Burren is by common consent a very special place. It is rich in archaeological remains which represent the area's continuous occupancy for over 5,000 years. This use of the land has combined with nature to produce an environment with distinctive flora and a landscape of great beauty. We would all wish, I presume, that the harmonious balance which has produced an environment of such quality and attractiveness should not be disturbed in so far as this is possible, having regard to the present day needs of the local community. It is an area of international scientific importance and I hope it will in due course be recognised as a world heritage site.

I do not want to dwell too long on the turbulent history of this case. Suffice to say that, despite the wide opposition to the proposed centre, work began on the site in November 1992 but this was brought to a halt in February 1993, following a High Court decision.

The Supreme Court ruled in May 1993 that the State is not exempt from the requirement to seek full planning permission and the then Government decided that the Office of Public Works should engage in wide consultations following which it should seek planning permission. In January 1994 the Office of Public Works made a planning application for the retention of the partially completed structures and the completed bus and car park and for the completion of the development at Mullaghmore.

With the change of Government in December 1994, the programme, A Government of Renewal, stated that the future of the proposed interpretative centres at Mullaghmore, Luggala and the Boyne Valley would be a matter for decision by Government. I immediately asked my officials to examine the options for the various centres and, in the light of this examination, I presented proposals to Government which were approved on 28 March 1995. In so far as the Burren was concerned, the Government's decision was to withdraw the planning application, which was still before Clare County Council, and to proceed with the preparation of a management plan for the Burren national park. In the meantime, a decision on the completed bus and car parks was deferred until the management plan had been completed.

I referred earlier to the question of the context in which the debate about siting the interpretative centre should be placed. It was clear to me from an early stage that it was futile trying to achieve consensus on where particular facilities should be provided without a management plan for the park which would consider fundamental issues like the park's objectives and its resources, a zoning system for the park as well as how visitors should be catered for with access, information interpretative facilities. It was also important that the national park, which is relatively small, should not be considered in isolation but should be seen in the context of the whole north Clare area.

Having appointed a steering committee to oversee the production of a management plan for the Burren National Park in the context of a conservation strategy for the north Clare area, the consultants Brady Shipman Martin were commissioned to undertake the drafting of the plan. The draft plan was completed in February 1996 and the views of the public were then sought on the proposals.

My Department has also commissioned the same consultants, Brady Shipman Martin, to carry out a survey of monuments in the Burren and to address three main objectives: the preservation and conservation of the historic sites and monuments within the Burren; the preservation of the setting of the monuments; and to cater for the tourist potential of the area by providing facilities for visitors to view and enjoy a selected number of monuments.

That report is nearing completion and I hope to have it shortly. It will be based on a site assessment of over 30 monuments in the Burren and will make recommendations for actions required to ensure visitor access to the monuments, while minimising disruption to the site and its context.

The strategy in this report and the overall strategy in the Burren National Park Management Plan are in accord with an earlier report by the same firm of consultants entitled "Tourism in the Burren, a Strategic Plan" which was sponsored by Shannon Development, Clare County Council and the Heritage Service of my Department.

We now have a comprehensive set of proposals on which to base a strategy for the protection of the natural and archaeological heritage of the Burren while providing appropriate forms of access for visitors to experience the landscape and its elements.

The consultation period for the Burren national park draft management plan expired on 16 May 1996 and I received a total of 29 submissions. Two of these were joint submissions from a number of organisations while in another instance the organisation in question attached an appendix from a consultant and this could be taken as a further submission.

I would like to thank sincerely everyone who responded to my request for observations. Most of the responses were quite detailed and clearly reflected very careful consideration and evaluation of the contents of the draft plan. I referred the submissions to the consultants, Brady Shipman Martin, for their views and I have now received these.

The consultants in their report have chosen to refer to the location where the original interpretative centre project was undertaken by the townland name of Gortlecka and I will use that name — Gortlecka — when I am referring to proposals for that site.

In broad terms the draft plan met a positive response. For instance, the Burren Action Group commented as follows:

The Burren Action Group would like to welcome the publication of the Burren National Park Study. It is the first time in Ireland that there has been such a comprehensive attempt to integrate conservation with agriculture, tourism and the provision of employment opportunities on a regional basis. The approach used in the Burren National Park study points the way forward towards the goal of sustainable development in the Irish countryside and for this the Minister is to be congratulated.

The Burren National Park Support Association has many positive comments on the recommendations in the consultants' report, such as the following:

The Burren National Park Support Association accepts the recommendation that visitor use of the Park be placed in the wider context of the North Clare area. It supports the recommendations for an integrated approach to visitor access and facilities throughout the region. This approach accords with the Tourism Strategy for the Burren (Brady Shipman Martin, 1992) with which the Association broadly agrees.

The Association furthermore concedes that the visitor/interpretative facility at Mullaghmore should not be regarded as a "stand alone" attraction on the North Clare landscape. In fact, it has on several occasions put forward recommendations which it feels would facilitate a good deal of appropriate linkage between various elements of the Burren "story".

While the support association is clearly unhappy with what it perceives to be the scale of the facilities proposed for the Gortlecka site, which it says is "little more than a flimsy bus-shelter with a few token display panels", it goes on to state its belief that Corofin should have a central role and this is, of course, provided for in the consultants' report. The following are the views expressed by the support association:

It is the view of this Association therefore that Corofin should be regarded as a key centre for the preservation and interpretation of the North Clare Story. It would also be ideally located for the creation of an archive as a repository for academic and specialist work related to the Burren as recommended at 5.22 (National Park Study). If the existing Heritage and Genealogical Centre at Corofin were to assume a wider focus to include, for example, audio-visual and literary presentations of the very rich oral literature of North Clare, then the facilities at Corofin could comprise an ensemble of interlinked elements which would constitute an important visitor complex. An important function of the facility there would be to seek to establish and promote the Burren area as a locality of research and academic excellence in a range of fields, including natural history, archaeology, folk history and rural studies as recommended in the Tourism Strategy for the Burren (page 19 Draft Strategy, 1992).

There is a somewhat similar emphasis in the comments of the Burren Action Group on the key position of Corofin. Having stated that there is a great deal of the content of the Burren National Park Study which is in full accord with strategies supported and advocated by the Burren Action Group, it says that there are certain points which it feels need further clarification, in particular in relation to the facilities at Corofin. The report states:

There is a lack of clarity in the Burren National Park Study as to the exact nature and function of the facilities which are proposed for the village. The Burren Action Group feel that the main National Park management facilities should be based at or adjacent to the village of Corofin.

I have concentrated so far on the comments of the Burren National Park Support Association and of the Burren Action Group to draw attention to the extent of common ground that exists. It is interesting that both organisations call for the Burren to be designated as a world heritage site which I hope will be achieved in the future. It is clear that they, like the others who submitted comments, have a deep concern for the conservation of the Burren and for the welfare and prosperity of the local communities. What we all have at heart is the sustainable development of the Burren region. There is very little between the various groups as to how best this can be achieved. Looked at in this broader context, the question of the scale of the facilities, if any, to be provided at the Gortlecka site should hopefully be a manageable problem.

The consultants recommended that the Gortlecka site should provide car parking to accommodate existing and projected visitor numbers and to avoid unauthorised roadside parking; toilets; staff facilities; limited visitor information; basic visitor shelter, possibly with limited interpretative material——

Mr. Lawlor

We are back to where we were.

Mr. N. Treacy

Hypocrisy.

Mr. M. Higgins

——and storage; effluent treatment——

Mr. N. Treacy

God help Ireland.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister without interruption, please.

Mr. M. Higgins

——and other building services.

Mr. Lawlor

The road to the Burren is paved with reports.

Mr. M. Higgins

The Deputies will have an opportunity to contribute.

Mr. Lawlor

We do not want to listen to this.

Mr. M. Higgins

The Deputies' party had sufficient time to resolve this matter but it did not make progress.

Mr. Lawlor

We had to drag the Minister into the House today.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

No further interruptions from either side of the House, please.

Mr. M. Higgins

A number of those who responded have taken the line that none of these facilities should be provided at Gortlecka or expressed some concern about them. These include the Heritage Council, Plant Life, Comhar Cumann na Bóirne, Burren Action Group, Dr. Micheline Skeehy Skeffington, Eamonn de Buitléir, Godfey Nall, Martina O'Dea and Liam Kirwan. Others have taken the line that these facilities are inadequate. These include the Burren National Park Support Association, Clare Heritage Centre, Corofin and District Development Company, North Clare IFA, Deputy Tony Killeen, Kilkeedy Development Association, Francis Brew and the Kilnaboy Community Development Association.

Given the general support that exists for the principle in the Burren National Park Study of having dispersed interpretation the issue that remains to be settled is whether it is necessary to provide a special access to the park and, if so, the scale of the facilities to be provided at the access point. Deputies on all sides of the House will agree that the preservation of a way to discuss the future of the Burren is of benefit to everybody as we try to get it right for the future.

I wish to refer in particular to the submission made by the Heritage Council which included as an appendix a report commissioned from Mr. Maarten van Arkel, planning officer for recreation and tourism in the National Forest Service of the Netherlands. The Heritage Council welcomes my initiative in commissioning the Burren National Park Study and in providing an opportunity for wide public consultation on the strategies proposed for the national park and for the wider north Clare area. In general, the views of the council on the report are very positive and they endorse many of the recommendations in the study. In relation to the proposals for the Gortlecka site the council has reservations such as:

The council considers that the recommendations to site significant visitor facilities at Gortlecka is contrary to the overall management, conservation and sustainable development strategies adopted in the Burren National Park Study and in the draft tourism plan.

I would lay particular emphasis on the council's use of the word, significant. It appears that its concern is with the perceived scale of the facilities proposed. I share its concern that the development there should be of appropriate scale. The consultants have placed great stress on the principle of appropriate scale and they have confirmed that they are satisfied that there is no conflict between their recommendations for Gortlecka and the strategies proposed in their various reports on the Burren.

I am impressed by the overall strategy of the Brady Shipman Martin series of reports which suggest that any major developments should take place in centres of population but that modest provision should be made for access at various points. Those who oppose the proposed developments at Gortlecka in general suggest that by extending the park to the wetlands in the vicinity of Corofin it would be possible to provide adequate access to the park at that point. While I am prepared to consider the question of extending the park target area and of providing access from Corofin, I do not believe that this will satisfy the demand for access to the typical Burren limestone pavement and upland areas. As the national park will not be clearly demarcated from surrounding private lands many general visitors may find it difficult to know which are the public lands that can be legally accessed. A formal entry point to the national park will help to overcome this difficulty and will also allow for a greater degree of control.

The proposals for Gortlecka, as outlined in the study, is intended to be primarlily an entry point from which visitors will access the park on foot, rather than an attraction in its own right. The scale of the facilities proposed for Gortlecka is very small. I have asked the Office of Public Works to prepare a plan for my consideration which I will present to the High Court for permission to proceed to a planning application. I sincerely hope that this compromise will meet with a wide measure of support and that we can proceed quickly to a final solution to the Gortlecka site.

In tandem with the preparation of a plan for the Gortlecka site, my officials are considering the matter of providing facilities at Corofin, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan. An outline of the facilities which I would hope to provide at Corofin include: (1) an audio-visual show; (2) a graphic interpretative display; (3) a nature study room for school groups; (4) the Park Management Headquarters; and (5) support for the Corofin Heritage Centre.

In the last day or so some of my officials have had meetings in Corofin and Ballyvaughan to discuss the possibilities of developments in these areas and I hope that officials will shortly have discussions with Comhar Cumann na Bóirne on possible joint co-operation at Kilfenora.

I am satisfied that the Burren National Park Study together with the other Brady Shipman Martin reports on the Burren —"Tourism in the Burren, a Strategic Plan" which I endorse and the forthcoming report on the Burren monuments — will form a sound basis for future planning in the Burren. Is mian liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le Brady Shipman Martin agus leis an gCoiste Stiúrtha a rinne a seacht ndícheall chun an tuarascáil a eisiúint chomh tapaidh agus a rinne siad.

Cuireann sé áthas orm, mar sin, an tuarascáil seo a chur faoi bhráid an Tí.

Miss de Valera

I welcome this opportunity of debating the management plan for the Burren National Park although it is strange we could not have had this debate immediately after the consultation period had elapsed. However, I am pleased that we are now discussing this area of tremendous interest in my constituency of Clare.

There has been enormous interest in the preservation and conservation of the Burren area, recognised by all as a national treasure. As a public representative of the area, I am aware of the place it holds in the hearts and minds of the people of Clare. Hence the impassioned debate on how we should best promote and manage the Burren. Over the past five years, genuine, deeply held, sometimes completely opposing views, have been expressed, in particular on the proposed interpretative centre in Mullaghmore. Sadly this debate has caused division within the small community of north Clare where I perceive a wish for and progress towards a consensus.

The positive element of all of this debate, argument and counter-argument, has been the further realisation on the part of the general public of the sensitivity and vulnerability of the Burren region and the desire to conserve a national and international jewel.

The three documents — A Strategy for the Overall Development of the North Clare Area, A Management Plan for the Burren National Park and A Nature Conservation Strategy for the Proposed National Heritage Areas represent a positive step forward, giving an overview of what is needed for the long-term management of the Burren.

The Burren is an area of unique beauty and of ecological and archaeological importance. It is a botanist's paradise and animals such as wild goats, lizards as well as the pine marten are well known in addition to in excess of 40 species of birds. Human habitation over the past 5,000 years is evident in the Burren by the presence of ring forts, castles, fulachta fíadha, cairns, wedge tombs, medieval churches, high crosses, all to be found over north Clare. Literature and folklore abound on this area. The Irish language survived in the area until the 20th century and, within living memory, has been the everyday language of some in this region. The tradition of story telling has been recognised by the Irish Folklore Commission. The area is worthy of world heritage site listing, which I was pleased to note the Minister recognised in his speech.

In the Brady, Shipman Martin reports there is an attempt to marry the linchpins of economic survival in the Burren, agriculture and tourism, with the needs of conservation. I contend it must be recognised that farmers in the Burren have been the first conservationists. As they represent the key to the continued conservation and preservation of the area, their pivotal role must be not only understood but supported. The National Heritage Council acknowledges the importance of the farming community in shaping and maintaining this heritage, pointing out the need for farmers in the Burren to become land managers as well as producers and recognising that farmers must be compensated for so doing.

I should now like to quote from the submission of the National Heritage Council on the Brady, Shipman and Martin Burren National Park Study:

The payments involved should not be negatively viewed as grants and subsidies but as the legitimate income of landowners who maintain a heritage resource which underpins the tourism industry of the North Clare area. The Draft Strategy states that the only current way in which the dual role of farmers in the Burren can be funded is through the REPS scheme. Since this is a voluntary EU scheme of limited...duration, other options for long-term support of the farming community must be considered.

With regard to the proposed national heritage areas, the National Heritage Council goes on to say:

...Draft guidelines, the proposed NHAs and SACs represent a very significant fraction of the total acreage of the wider Burren area. Since the bulk of these designated areas is in private ownership, the conservation and management of both NHAs and SACs is absolutely dependent on the positive involvement, appropriate remuneration and maintenance of the local farming population.

No doubt the Minister is well aware that farmers are willing to participate in preservation and conservation measures, but they must be compensated and overall consultation is pivotal in any such arrangements and approaches. The Irish Farmers' Association held a meeting in Clare specifically to discuss this matter. It is the intention of my party to continue to hold meetings. We had a discussion within our parliamentary party last week and will have further discussions within our party on the implications of NHAs and how we can best help landowners in this exercise.

No doubt the Minister is also aware of the severe depopulation in Clare and, in particular, north Clare. The people of Carron have written to me to explain their particular difficulties with depopulation because of which they, and many like them throughout the area of north Clare, wish to maintain as many farmers as possible on the land. In order to do so, some compensatory system must be devised, perhaps under the aegis of the REPS or other subsidy, to supplement any loss of income incurred by farmers. Their livelihoods would not be put in jeopardy as a consequence of conservation which will not only enhance their local area but the country's general heritage and tourism potential.

There has been much concern about reclamation in the Burren over the past 18 months on which I understand a survey has been undertaken. There is anxiety about what are referred to as new reclamation sites. I am informed that, within a very small area, there have been 59 new reclamation sites, of which 31 are in proposed national heritage areas, 23 of which are located in the eastern part of the Burren. I ask the Minister to pay particular attention to these sites which worry not alone members of the IFA but the general public in the north Clare area.

Reading through all the submissions and reports on the Burren, one discovers a common thread, identifying what is necessary and achievable: first, the plateau region of the Burren should be designated as a world heritage site; second, "Tourism of the Burren — A Strategic Plan" should be published; third, well planned trails must be provided; fourth, most submissions, with some exceptions, identify the need for appropriate signage in the Burren, some recommending that a Burren logo be displayed on all approaches to the region; fifth, the need for a litter management programme is emphasised by all and sixth, the need for further listing of archaeological sites is noted. The Minister referred to such a survey and I hope there will be consultation with farmers who have archaeological sites on their lands as that is the only way forward. It is the least that can be done in seeking assistance from farmers and showing respect for their lands and archaeological sites on them. Road widening is a controversial issue and some people consider there is a need for proper parking facilities.

The Kilnaboy submission refers to concerns about traffic congestion. The people there are concerned about people parking their cars in gateways which would make life difficult for the local population. The view was also expressed that if roads can be built to cater for the tourists surely good roads should be built to cater for the local people. Some people are concerned that road widening may pose a danger to the ecology of the area. At a meeting I held in Lisdoonvarna at the end of March to discuss this issue, it was suggested that if the sodden was taken away road widening may not damage habitats and would improve access to the Burren. Access to the Burren is already difficult as there are traffic jams in Ballyvaughan and Corofin. Some people who attended that meeting suggested that buses parked around the national park could cause traffic problems. A suggestion that carparking facilities be centralised and a number of mini buses with local tour guides run by local people be provided should be considered. There is a great emphasis on the need for formal tour guides, but they must be local people.

There is a need for further information and education and local people would welcome that. Further educational programmes could be encouraged along the lines of the work undertaken by the Burren Symposium in Fanore which has undertaken great work in many fields. The provision of pamphlets and leaflets comes under the heading of access to information, something on which we would all agree.

The need to control the number of game shooters, raised on the Order of Business this morning, comes under the aegis of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Justice and I ask the Minister to comment on that.

Farmers want to gain access to information about archaeological sites on their lands. They would like one to one advice similar to that provided by a Teagasc adviser. Consultation with a farmer during surveys on any archaeological site on his or her land should be automatic. At present maps are available showing some archaeological sites, but they are not always intelligible to the lay men or women. It is considered unfair that farmers should bear the cost of an archaeological dig or of getting advice on an archaeological site on their lands, because that heritage belongs not only to that farmer but to the nation. I ask the Minister to consider how farmers could be assisted in commissioning such archaeological works on their lands.

Great concern was expressed by many on the disappearance of artefacts from the Burren. A number of pre-famine headstones, slabs and waterfonts have disappeared. We do not know how that happened, but we could make some guesses. The people of the area and all those interested in heritage are appalled by their disappearance. Will the Minister consider what can be done to prevent the disappearance of such artefacts? It was suggested that rangers or local guides could be employed to keep an eye on them and that may help.

Another suggestion was that the Brehon Law School at Cahermacnaughton should be recognised and promoted appropriately. The Minister will recall that I raised this matter on an Adjournment Debate and he gave a positive response, but that has not been followed through.

The Clare County Council submission underlines the fact that the existing water and waste water facilities in a great deal of the North Clare area are grossly inadequate. In its Cohesion Fund application it said the water supply in Ballyvaughan, Bellharbour, Corofin, Doolin, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna is inadequate. The sewage problems in Ballyvaughan, Lisdoonvarna and Doolin are also well documented. Although they do not come directly under the responsibility of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, I ask the Minister to discuss them with his party colleague, the Minister for the Environment, to ensure that badly needed Cohesion Funds are allocated to those projects. The Clare County Council submission makes the point that a sustainable tourism industry is an important element in the future economic well-being of the area and sustainable tourism is dependent on the preservation of the Burren's unique qualities.

The only real matter of contention remaining is the proposed visitor facility at Mullaghmore. I was happy to note that at the meeting I arranged at the end of March in Lisdoonvarna to hear the views of my constituents on the Brady, Shipman and Martin report unanimous backing was given to a motion which called on all the people of the Burren and North Clare to come together to decide on how best this matter should be progressed. There was general agreement that centres such as Corofin and Kilfenora should be supported and enhanced. Corofin's success is due in great part to the tremendous drive, vision and commitment of the late Dr. Naoise Cléirigh who set up the genealogy centre in 1982 and the museum there needs new technologies to be more competitive.

The hinterland of Corofin has some of the most significant archaeological remains in the west, including the triple ramparted fort at Cahercommaun and the megalithic cemetery. It has one of the most dense concentrations of megaliths and other burial monuments in Ireland. There are some suggestions that Corofin is ideally suited for the location and creation of an archive as a repository for academic and specialist work related to the Burren. There is a lack of clarity in the plan for what is proposed for Corofin. Although the Minister referred to it today I ask him to elaborate on it.

The Burren Display Centre at Kilfenora has been in existence for more than two decades. It was doing the work of an interpretative centre long before interpretative centres were established. Such initiative and commitment must be recognised and funded so that it can be enhanced. The Burren Display Centre gives good employment and generates revenue for the area and I would be pleased to hear what further plans the Minister has for Kilfenora. He said certain discussions took place in the past few days, but I would like him to outline his views on and expectations for the Kilfenora centre.

While the Burren Action Group and others are very much against any development at Mullaghmore, there is recognition in the Brady, Shipman and Martin report that there will be development there. It states that Mullaghmore remains the most suitable location for a visitors centre in the national park and, among other requirements, includes carparking and toilet facilities, effluent treatment and other building services. There is major concern in the area of north Clare that visitor facilities and an interpretative programme, commensurate with the quality and range of the park's natural and built heritage, are put in place. Anything else would be a radical departure from what is in place at other national parks, all of which have meaningful visitor and interpretative facilities. The Kilnaboy submission makes the point that the greater impact from large numbers of tourists already exists in the western Burren, that the lowest impact from tourism traffic exists in the east Burren and that the Corofin/Kilnaboy areas have, for a long time, missed out on large numbers of visitors, hence its view on the need for an interpretative centre at Mullaghmore.

Will the Minister comment on the fact that the EU is considering the possibility of clawing back the funds that were available for Mullaghmore? Will he outline categorically the final position on this as many people are worried about it?

In view of the delays, a number of debates have taken place in Clare County Council on proposed road improvement works. I know that contractual agreements were in train with regard to landowners. This debate and the ensuing delays are causing concern about the contracts proceeding. Will the Minister outline the position?

The Minister mentioned that many submissions were made. I also received many submissions, not only from the meeting in Lisdoonvarna but also from groups in Kilnaboy, the Corofin Heritage Centre, Corofin and District Development Company, the Burren National Park Group, the display centre in Kilfenora, the IFA, the Burren Action Group, Clare Council, the Heritage Council of Ireland, Plant Life, World Fund for Nature and the Mountaineering Council of Ireland. Many submissions were also made on an individual basis by way of letter and telephone. All of these people are concerned.

This matter has gone on for some time. We have talked today about consultation. There has been an opportunity for such consultation and it is now time to proceed. I hope the Minister will not allow that the content of these reports are definitive on these issues. I hope he will be able to take the initiative, to move things further and to have further consultation with the people in the area. If they are listened to we will then be in a position to bring about a situation which will be fair and will represent the views held by the vast majority of the people in the Burren.

I will conclude by quoting remarks made by the Minister to Seanad Éireann when speaking on the Heritage Bill:

An historic shift in culture is required. There was a time in Irish culture when people imagined that if one presented people with nearly finished items they would accept them. However, we are now at a point in our cultural history where people want to see things in the shape they are to come before consent is presumed. We must operate in that manner.

This consultation period has occurred. There is room for further consultation, but I do not want it to be used as an excuse for not moving forward. I hope the Minister will approach this with an open mind to ensure that the views of the people of County Clare, of north County Clare and especially of the Burren are accepted and that we can move forward from there.

Miss Quill

I welcome the preparation and publication of this plan. It provides us with the best prospect to date for rational discussion on this sensitive and difficult matter. It also provides us with the best prospect, at the end of that discussion, to get in place the right recipe for the preservation and conservation of what is one of our greatest treasures, the Burren.

The recent history of the development of the Burren has, unfortunately, been a sad one. It has been riven with conflict and dissention. It has not done anybody, nor the Burren itself, any good. Morover, the fact that £3.5 million of taxpayers money has already been spent in this region is a scandal. This kind of expenditure could have been averted if there had been proper consultation and discussion at the pre-planning and planning stages.

I hope we get it right on this occasion and that there will be full consultation and discussion with everybody involved, especially with the people of County Clare. This is not a County Clare inheritance. The Burren is the birthright of every Irish person, but it is located in County Clare and, being realistic, its future is in the hands of the people of County Clare. They have been and will continue to be the best custodians of this great national treasure.

It is important that at this juncture we should confer and listen carefully to all the people in that area. It is of fundamental importance that we have the active support of the farmers in our effort to develop and maintain it in a proper manner. We must also engage from the outset the support of tourism interests and local historical and archaeological groups in the area. When elements of the plan are put in place and the developers move out, these are the people who will be the custodians of this area, for this and future generations. Ultimately this will be the key to success.

If we are to succeed every farmer must become a land manager in his own area. In addition, if the Government is to succeed in transcribing the EU directive regarding NHAs and SACs into Irish laws and having them fully implemented on the ground, there must be ongoing dialogue with farmers. Some kind of concordat must be arrived at with them which will not alone engage their interest and enthusiasm but will also make it financially viable for them to continue to be the best custodians of these areas of heritage and scientific importance. Unless and until this dialogue is undertaken successfully and constructively these proposals will not work. Farmers in the area are central to the preservation of this most precious of all landscapes in the Irish map.

The Burren is an unique combination of very special elements. In addition to the rock formation and archaeological elements, there is the flora, fauna and bird life. It is a combination of unique features that are so precious and yet so delicate in their balance that if we do not seek to preserve them all in harmony, one with the other, inestimable long-term damage will be done.

It is not an unrealistic aspiration that the Burren should be a centre of unique international importance. It can become that if we go about our business in the correct way. It is fundamentally important to engage the minds and hearts of the people who live in that area. It is also of fundamental importance that there should be programmes of education to enable people living in the area to appreciate fully the longterm importance of preserving what was given to them as their natural gift from their Creator. In that respect I wish to pay fulsome tribute to the Burren Conservation Trust based in Fenore. Over the years that group has striven to hold symposia, to generate interest and enthusiasm and disseminate information about the Burren. That is the kind of activity that is necessary to fuel a local pride which will lead to proper preservation and conservation practice, that will lead to the conclusion that there is no quick kill in the context of tourism but that if the business is gone about properly a tourist trade can be converted into a good economic asset.

That is a philosophical outlook that Clare people would hold naturally. Consider how they held on to their traditional Irish music. Long before the media made it fashionable to do so they kept alive their music and their stories. I have the utmost confidence in the capacity of the people of Clare to look after the Burren if those of us whose task it is to officially design the national park do our business in the correct way. If we do that the people of Clare will respond in due measure.

Central to this plan is the concept of breaking up the different elements of the national park and having a necklace of centres around its core. I support that very good and welcome concept. The centres should be strategically selected and properly funded and developed. What we do not want is a series of Mickey Mouse centres. The roadways and the access routes to these centres should be such as not to constitute a gross interference with the wildlife and natural habitats of the area.

My instinct and the range of submissions from interested parties tell me that no development should happen on the area that the Minister has defined geographically as Gortlecka. That is the most delicate, vulnerable and brittle part of the whole Burren area, and anything that is there today ought to be dismantled. Although the experts say they would permit what they call limited development with car parking, restaurant and sewage treatment plant, I do not agree with that part of their report. I would be fearful of the longterm damage that could be done to the most brittle and delicate part of the structure, the stone formation of that part of the Burren. My clear preference would be that no element, no matter how small, should be put in the Gortlecka area.

Had I the choice, I would recommend to the Minister that the new roadway that surrounds that area should be removed and that there be proper zoning. The Burren is a vast area. Certain parts of it are more delicate and more vulnerable than other parts. I would like to see specifically stated in the report a zoning plan for the area that would allow for the control and regulation of the flow of visitors to the area.

I keep in mind what has happened at Stonehenge in southern England and most recently in Iona. The decision of the late Labour leader in Britain, John Smith, to be buried in Iona — I was touched at the time by his choice of burial place — generated fresh interest in Iona. Large numbers of people, their curiosity rekindled, decided they would like to visit Iona. As a result of this increased traffic irreparable damage has been done to the island. This is what can happen when well meaning people prompted by curiosity, good marketing and good publicity go in their numbers to places as ancient and vulnerable as Iona. We should learn from that experience.

When the final plans are put in place we should make proper provision to ensure that we can control the flow of people, particularly on to Gortlecka, which is the most vulnerable and brittle part of the Burren. I hope proper education programmes will be put in place not just for visitors to the area but for ourselves, that those of us who knew the history of the Burren better in our earlier days would be refreshed and have a heightened awareness and appreciation of the importance of the Burren and of its vulnerability and delicacy.

It is important also to carry out an audit, listing all the items of archaeological importance, all the flora and fauna and other elements of wildlife in the area. We would then have a clearer picture of what we want to preserve and keep in place. A number of the pine martens in the Fenore area have been destroyed for one reason or another, and that is a big loss to the area. Because we do not have a national or local audit it is hard to specify the extent of damage at a given time, and it is impossible to monitor the conservation of so many diverse elements. It is, therefore, important to put an audit in place. It is also important to zone the area and, through that, to regulate access and traffic.

It has been convincingly argued by people who know a great deal more about these things than I that the park should be extended to include the wetlands to the south-west. In the Minister's opening address he said that although that would be laudable it might create difficulties in terms of access.

Mr. M. Higgins

The issue of access was not addressed fully.

Miss Quill

That is an issue I will be asking the Minister to look at, not particularly in his response today but in further consultations. I understand this plan is to be discussed for about 12 weeks.

Mr. M. Higgins

We will have assistance. We have to go back to court.

Miss Quill

If that can be done, it should be done. We may not get another opportunity to do that and to incorporate the wetlands that are very valuable in their own right into the Burren National Park. That opportunity ought not to be passed up. I appeal to the Minister to take that point on board and work on it.

The local people are the primary custodians of this place. I would like to see them being involved in all the discussions henceforth. At the end of the day this is probably one of the most exciting prospects that has been presented to this generation of parliamentarians. If we succeed in putting in place a proper plan for the Burren National Park, and if through that plan we succeed in preserving for this and successive generations what is one of our greatest treasures, we will have done very important work. I hope that this can be made to happen. I hope the final plan will be the best fit for everybody.

I stress again the fundamental importance of engaging the support of the farmers and the people of Clare. This is a time for healing. There has been a lot of division which I very much regret in such a close knit community. It is a matter of great regret that the history of the Burren to date has led to so much dissension and division. I hope that in the context of putting this plan in place we will be able to heal those divisions, reach consensus and move forward. I very much hope that happens.

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. Carey)

The Burren, as the Minister has said, is a place of great beauty, the result of the combination of the works of nature and of man during the past 5,000 years. The early settlers left their mark on the landscape. The dolmen or portal tomb at Poulnabrone is one of the country's most striking architectural features. The extraordinary geological feature that is Mullaghmore is one of the great works of nature. Often when writers attempt to convey the special attractiveness of the area the words "tranquillity" and "inspirational" are used to try to describe the particular charm and magic that people find in the Burren. The word "silent" is sometimes used in this context. A number of people came to my office in Ennis to express their concern and to explain to me the value of this silence.

It is ironic that during the past six years or so the words "Burren" and "Mullaghmore" have tended to be associated in many people's minds with protestation, rancour and tumult. I hope the day is not far distant when all this will have faded into the past and the Burren will once again regain its reputation as a place of beauty and tranquillity. The Burren has so much to inspire both the local community and the visitor alike. Apart from the indefinable atmosphere to which I referred there is the great wealth of archaeological remains, the striking beauty of the limestone pavement and of the uplands and, of course, the distinctive flora which is of international scientific interest. I understand that the limestone of the Burren, which occupies less than 1 per cent of Ireland's land area, contains more than 75 per cent of its plant species. The Burren is able to support this wide range of species as a result of its unique combination of geology, topography, climate and altitude. I pay tribute to the farmers who occupy the Burren area as they have contributed to the retention of this habitat.

Those of us who know and love the Burren will commend the Minister for commissioning this wide-ranging study. The consultants, Brady, Shipman and Martin, have a long and credible track record in landscape and tourism planning. It is worth mentioning again, as the Minister has done, that their report has received general approval across the spectrum of opinion, but this is to be expected from such a reputable firm of consultants.

There has been a good response to the Minister's consultation process. I wish to point out, particularly to Deputy de Valera, that in February the Minister set a final date of 16 May for receipt of observations on this study. This debate has come on us very quickly. I do not think there has been any untoward delay. The Minister's intentions have been honourable. He has to return to the court to present a document which will have to satisfy a judge.

Miss de Valera

Surely the Minister of State will realise and acknowledge that I raised this matter so often on the Order of Business that it was a shame I had to do so. I had to thump the table on a number of occasions.

Mr. Carey

The Minister was agreeable to this matter in the first instance, but the Deputy seems to give the impression that the Minister was trying to delay matters, avoid consultations and hide from her. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was no need for the Deputy to thump the table. That was unnecessary dramatics.

There was extensive consultation and a great many people made submissions. I acknowledge all the submissions. We received a joint submission from Burren National Park Support Association, Clare Heritage Centre and Corofin and District Development Company; individual submissions from the Burren National Park Support Association, the Clare Heritage Centre and the Corofin and District Development Company which had particular points it wanted to make outside the joint submission; John A. O'Reilly, architect and North Clare Heritage Association. The consultants agreed with most of this submission. In fairness, Deputy Killeen did a great deal of work on his submission, making 50 strong points, some of which we agreed with and others we did not.

Submissions were received from Kilkeedy Development Association, the Tubber Game and Gun Club, Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, David Drew, John Foster on behalf of the Burren Action Group, Eamonn de Buitléar, Lisdoonvarna Fáilte Ltd., Liam Kirwan, Kilnaboy Community Development Association, Comhar Conradh na Boirne, local representatives of Lisdoonvarna, Burren Consensus and the National Heritage Council. The National Heritage Council also submitted an appendix. Submissions were received from Francis Brew, Tubber, Plantlife and the Burren Action Group. Some 26 observations were given to the Minister on the draft management plan. This is indicative of the keen interest in the Burren.

As the Minister said, there has been something approaching a consensus that the future lies in smaller rather than in larger-scale developments and I am pleased to see the proposals for centres at Corofin, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan. The Minister has referred already to the key role to be played by Corofin and to the large measure of agreement on that matter. I support this fully.

I join with Deputy de Valera in taking this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of the late Naoise Cleary who was the inspiration behind the Corofin Heritage Centre and whose pioneering work has been an example to many others throughout the country. I was glad to hear the Minister say that his proposals for Corofin included support for the heritage centre.

We must, of course, be careful that we do not do an injustice to Kilfenora. A careful balancing act will be required to ensure that one centre does not advance to the unfair disadvantage of the other. Like the Corofin heritage centre, the Burren centre at Kilfenora grew out of the local community. This year it is proudly celebrating its 21st anniversary. I wish it well and hope it will survive and prosper to celebrate another landmark. It is important that the centres at Kilfenora and Corofin should complement each other so that visitors will be encouraged to visit both and, of course, the proposed centre at Ballyvaughan.

There are many interesting stories to be told about the Burren. Kilfenora, with its rich architectural and archaeological remains, is well placed to tell the story of the built heritage. Ballyvaughan, by the sea, might concentrate on the maritime influence on the Burren and the rich marine ecology. These are just ideas. The important thing is that there is co-operation and co-ordination of the three centres so that each can benefit from the other and together present a comprehensive picture of what the Burren has to offer.

The proposals put forward for the Gortlecka site may be seen as a compromise, which on its own is a good thing. Most arguments are solved by compromise, but there is also a compelling logic in the arguments put forward in support of this solution. The next step is for the Minister to satisfy the High Court that he may proceed with a modest development at Gortlecka, and then for him to submit a plan for planning permission. I sincerely hope that people on all sides will exercise as much restraint as possible and consider the Minister's proposals when they emerge as objectively and honestly as possible.

I am very happy with the Burren national park study, an excellent document. I look forward to the report on the Burren monuments which the Minister has commissioned and which he expects to have very soon. We now have a vision for the future of the Burren, and it is up to us to work together to ensure it comes to fruition.

I wish to acknowledge the work of the steering group, which comprised Seán Ó Cofaigh of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht; Professor Frank Convery of An Taisce; Dr. Alan Craig of the National Parks and Wildlife Service; Doreen Graham of Rural Resources Development Limited, who represented Leader; Ciaran Lynch of Clare County Council; Michael Roberts of Shannon Development and Professor Curtin of UCG. They did a good day's work in undertaking this task for which I thank them.

Mr. Killeen

Tá áthas orm go bhfuil deis agam labhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo a chuireann insteach go mór ar dhaoine i mo thaobh den tir. Aontaím leis an Teachta Ó Ciardha sa mhéid a dúirt sé faoin Ghrúpa Stiúrtha. Rinne siad sár-obair agus cé nach n-aontaím leis an rud ar fad atá déanta acu tá an obair sin tábhachtach agus creidim gur féidir linn dul ar aghaidh ón áit in a bhfuilimid anois.

As the only Member of the Oireachtas who lives in the Burren area, I tend to feel — as do many people in the Burren — that what I have to say in relation to this troubled matter might be disregarded to some extent. Many of the people of that area feel their views are disregarded. I certainly felt that the report produced by the steering group, for which I am grateful, deserved a response. As the Minister of State, Deputy Carey, said, I submitted a long and sometimes critical response. The general thrust was in support of a great deal of what is outlined in the report, with some serious reservations.

It is fair to say there is a significant level of agreement in the submissions I have seen on many of the basic issues. Having seen the population trends in the first document, I am greatly surprised there is any member of the Oireachtas from the Burren area because of the falling population. Unfortunately, as almost everybody has said, the national park project has had a troubled history. Mistakes were made on all sides. Everybody has to acknowledge that and start from that point. I have attempted at all stages to set out my own views — sometimes very strongly, but truthfully and honourably — and for that I have suffered. The Minister probably believes that also applies to him, as does everybody who has strongly expressed their views on the issue.

I was very critical of the fact that the elected members from north Clare were not represented on the steering group. The function of Clare County Council in relation to the preparation of the development plan was strongly impinged on in some of what was contained in the report. Equally, in regard to the preparation of the conservation guidelines for the NHAs, there ought to have been a representative of the farming community, either locally or nationally, on that body. These omissions undermine, to some extent, the credibility of the reports produced.

In common with other speakers, I am grateful for the documents I received from a host of groups, including my local community in Kilnaboy, three joint submissions from Corofin, the Burren centre in Kilfenora, the Burren action group, the IFA, the Heritage Council and many others. I appreciate the courtesy of people, many of whom disagree strongly with me on aspects of this issue, in making available to me copies of their submissions. I intend to pursue this issue in that spirit. As I said, I made a submission as a concrete and constructive contribution to advancing the debate. I think it will be treated in that manner.

In a sense, I feel sorry for the Minister because many of my neighbours and people who live in the Burren are saying he is not an objective judge — which is no more than they would say about me if I were in that position — to decide on this issue. It is being strongly said by people in my area that the Minister has a vested interest in a particular direction. It would be a great pity if that was the basis on which his final decision in this regard was judged. Unfortunately, a great deal of damage has been done to relations between the indigenous Burren population and the environmental lobbies generally. That is unhelpful and the upshot will be greater difficulty in having a meaningful and worthwhile conservation policy for the Burren. The people of the Burren and the landscape in which they reside ought to be the overriding considerations in whatever is decided by the Department.

In relation to the draft conservation guidelines for the NHAs, I have already mentioned that there is no farmer representative on the steering group. Farmers feel there is very little appreciation of their rights in that area. A number of them have said to me that they feel very strongly that the approach in relation to them was rather high handed. The IFA submission sets out much more briefly than mine, and probably more cogently, the concerns of farmers, which include the need to address the population decline and the advantages of an enhanced role for REPS, including provision for access to lands. I ask the Minister to consider that and take it up with his counterpart.

Tourism is very important for the future of north Clare and is at the centre of the whole contention. There is a fear that the Occupiers' Liability Act, which was passed last year, does not sufficiently address the liability of farmers. I often said that we would have to await a court adjudication on the Bill to know how good it was. Farmers have told me very strongly about those fears. The IFA submission states that the goodwill of farmers is of paramount importance, and that it is there to be won. I welcome that.

The IFA strongly supports the completion of the centre as originally proposed. Deputy Quill takes the entirely opposite view, as do some of the others who have made submissions. In some senses, that is the kernel of the difficulty and the area which has to be ultimately addressed. The proposal to remove all the existing work is a recipe for disaster. I strongly disagree with her contention that Gortlecka is a most vulnerable site. That does not accord with my memory of it, which extends over 40 years. It was a very actively used quarry for a great deal of that time. It subsequently fell into disuse and was an appalling and unsightly dump. To the rear there was a bulldozed field. By no stretch of the imagination could it be considered an extremely vulnerable Burren habitat.

I am a member of the local community in which I served as a teacher for 18 years and very much in tune with the views of my neighbours expressed strongly in their submission. Some minor matters could be addressed without too much difficulty. These include the completion of the car park at the local church in Kilnaboy where for at least six months of the year members of the local community are severely inconvenienced when they attend Mass on a Sunday by buses and other traffic travelling to the park. This results in a huge build-up of traffic in a rural area.

The car park cannot be completed because of the successful court action brought by the Burren Action Group to which the Minister referred. As a direct result the county council is prevented from completing roadworks and the property of many farmers has been left open on the roadside. This means that their animals often stray on the road and neighbouring properties which is not conducive to good relations. The matter ought to have been dealt with much sooner.

Some farmers have expressed concern that, if reasonable access is not provided to public lands in the park, their lands will be used to gain access by visitors to the area. This would be unhelpful.

Deputy de Valera referred to the Burren and north Clare regional water services plan submitted by Clare County Council to Brussels in 1994 which appears to have been abandoned. To make development in north Clare possible and meaningful the schemes at Lisdoonvarna, Ballyvaughan, New Quay, Lahinch and Corofin need to be completed. The people of the Burren have said that despite all the concern expressed at national and European level there is no commitment to the Burren and its people. I agree that is the inescapable conclusion.

A number of minor points should have been dealt with in the report. A considerable number of vehicles park on the roadside at the site in Gortlecka extending into more vulnerable areas. This will continue throughout the summer until the matter is resolved.

The baseline study of lichen growth in the area undertaken by the county council is not mentioned in the report. It is important that this material is built on.

The Ballyline weather recording station is operated by the ESB but there is a view that monitoring in the area ought to be carried out independently. This should be looked at.

The American mink has, unfortunately, encroached on the park. Despite what the report states something needs to be done about this. I have seen quite a few in the past year and they have the potential to become a major problem.

The reference in the report to a sense of tranquillity is slightly exaggerated. While this may be the case in part of the park area it is not the case at Gortlecka, the proposed site for the centre.

One sentence in the report is insulting and condescending to local people. It reads: "... to help local people understand and appreciate the need for the park in their area". This is the kind of approach which does most damage to relations between those interested in conservation and those who live in the area. Many local people have said they are surprised at the level of interest shown by outsiders in the Burren in recent years, the national park in particular, when they were oblivious to the dumping at the site I mentioned and many other problems.

I welcome the Minister's commitment to carry out a study of monuments in the Burren. This is extremely important. In seeking planning permission applicants are required in many instances to carry out archaeological digs which can be extremely expensive. The Minister should consider subsidising them and storing the body of information gleaned in his Department.

I stated in my submission that the host community has for generations preserved the natural environment of the area, and that, unfortunately, more damage has been done in the last five or six years during the dispute than in several previous generations combined. I also said it is no accident that many locals in the Burren have rejected the practices and beliefs of centuries regarding the environment partly at least in reaction to condescending and, occasionally, insulting preaching from people who claim to be interested in conservation. That is the nub of the problem which will have to be addressed. We will have to reach the stage where local people and farmers feel included.

The report contends that large scale development would not be readily accommodated in towns, villages and rural areas. No evidence is presented in support of this statement. I can see no reason villages such as Corofin, Kilfenora or Ballyvaughan could not accommodate a large centre. In general the report's conclusions and findings, under the heading of tourism in particular, have not been proven. I strongly disagree with its thrust.

As the Minister of State, Deputy Carey, said, the Burren Centre in Kilfenora has been operating successfully for 21 years for which congratulations are due to the people involved. Since 1990 £120,000 has been paid in PAYE and PRSI, £50,000 in VAT and £400,000 in wages. There are four permanent and many part-time jobs. In the debate where people were either pro or anti on the national park my views on the centre in Kilfenora were misrepresented. This was unhelpful and did not reflect the reality.

I stated in my submission that the suggestion regarding a partnership approach with the Burren Display Centre in Kilfenora in paragraph 2.23 of the report was not new; that, unfortunately, many of the problems previously encountered in bringing it to fruition were likely to continue and that the main stumbling block previously had been the requirement for the local community to provide a substantial level of funding from their own resources. I went on to say that unless this could be successfully circumvented and aid at or close to 100 per cent could be provided the prospects for Kilfenora under this strategy seemed far more negative than under the original national park proposal. That is still the case. The matter needs to be dealt with.

The representatives of the Kilfenora centre should have been the first, not the last, to be given the opportunity to meet departmental officials. This is a matter of regret. People from other centres had meetings with them in recent weeks.

I see great danger for the Kilfenora and Corofin centres in the fragmentation and necklace of small centres proposed, some of which, inevitably, will prove unviable. There will be great difficulty in agreeing the division of subjects to be interpreted. They will have minimum impact. The question of capital and current funding will have to be addressed. If the Corofin Heritage Centre and the Burren Centre in Kilfenora have to compete with a number of small centres whose capital or current funds are provided by the State they will be in a worse position than they would have been under the original proposal for the national park and its centre at Gortlecka. That must not be allowed to happen. In regard to what might happen at Corofin, the views of those involved in the Corofin Heritage Centre should be taken on board. Those people have a successful record in what is a difficult area because by its nature it is not designed to attract huge numbers of people. They have experience and have made a worthwhile contribution to the area.

The late Dr. Naoise Ó Cléirigh who taught me at primary school and who frequently referred to the need to defend the honour of the little village imbued in all of us a sense of defence of our own place which was open to the construction during this debate that we were anti other places — certainly that is not the case. I say with pride that I would like to see worthwhile development take place there and the excellent work there should be complemented by whatever is provided. The same applies to the Dysert O'Dea Castle development where excellent work has been done on a shoestring budget and where those who have carried out this work feel under grave threat from some of the proposals in this report.

In Ballyvaughan there are two centres and a third is under construction. I do not know the proposals in relation to developing those centres or providing a new one. If it involves providing a new centre we will come to a stage in north Clare where there are many centres, none of which will be particularly strong. The danger of competition and fragmentation is real and has to be addressed at this stage. Equally a case can be made for developments in Lisdoonvarna, Doolin, Ennistymon, Kinvara and so on but in each development one needs to establish in advance the interest and interpretation or whatever is appropriate to the area. It is particularly important to establish that the development does not cut across one of the existing centres or that the end result does not mean they are all so weakened that they militate against each other and have minimal impact in the overall context of north Clare.

The principal fault with this report is that in my view at the back of their minds the steering group, the consultants and others had to arrive at a solution which would gain a level of acceptance. We commend them for that. In doing so they may have erred in going for a dispersal of proposals to a greater extent than can be accommodated and sustained in north Clare, particularly in regard to tourism. Further consultation is needed. I accept the Minister is constrained by the court's ruling and has to return to the court with a proposal. The view of the people in my area is that they are not satisfied with the present level of consultation and would like to have a further input.

The cause of conservation in the Burren and attempts to provide a viable community would be better served by allowing more time and doing the job better. While the Minister has to make a proposal to the court he ought to consider asking for time for further consultations.

I am prepared to offer my assistance towards reaching a solution. I believe strongly that the original proposal would have been better but I live in the real world and I know that accommodations have to be reached. At the end of the day we all have to play a part in reaching what I hope will be an amicable solution. My support and help is available to the Minister but I will continue to point out that certain options are more acceptable and useful in the long-term than some of those proposed.

Dr. Bhamjee

I thank the Minister for his detailed speech and giving us the legal history because this issue has caused enough controversy. It has resulted in my election victory and that of Deputy Killeen and the loss of Brendan Daly to the Seanad. It is strange that an issue of conservation should result in political problems and people losing parliamentary seats but, unfortunately, that is the case. We should also thank the steering committee who have put in much work and read many submissions in the preparation of this document and who will continue to work to bring the plan to fruition. I was pleased to hear the Minister say that he continues to have daily consultations with people.

The Burren National Park is an area of unique beauty. People visit it for its isolation and silence and for its flora and fauna. It is essential that its uniqueness is preserved for future generations because we now live in a world that is mechanised and there is noise and pollution around us. The areas to which we can escape are declining all the time. We in Ireland are fortunate that we have more than our fair share of them but when we look to modern Europe it is not difficult to understand why areas like the Burren are so popular with visitors. I listened to the radio this morning and heard two Dutch people say they holiday in Ireland for the scenery and isolation. We must be careful not to lose this asset.

The Brady Shipman Martin report is most welcome and will be appreciated by most people not only in Clare but in the rest of Ireland because the problem of the Burren was not a problem of north Clare or County Clare or of Ireland, it extended to the whole of Europe and, indeed, further afield. Submissions have been received from all parts of the world. In global terms the Burren is unique. Hence its inclusion as a World Heritage Site listing. We in Ireland have an obligation to preserve it not just for ourselves but for the countless thousands of visitors who come to study and enjoy it. During the controversy there were many visitors resulting in traffic jams in Corofin. It was good to see people enjoy the Burren. Nowadays our children appreciate only television and radio and we need to encourage them to appreciate nature in all its forms and beauty.

We should not underestimate the potential threat to the environment in the region. For example, one of the submissions showed there is a market for limestone paving across Europe. The Burren is an obvious source for such material. We must make sure we do not allow short-term prospecting licences or any form of mineral exploitation in the area. It would be detrimental to think even on those lines.

The potential for this report is enormous because it is the first time in Ireland that such a report has sought to integrate the competing goals of environmental conservation and local economic development. On this the report's authors and the Minister are to be congratulated. The establishment of natural heritage areas and special areas of conservation to form the nucleus of a national park are welcome and long overdue. The assignment of special areas of conservation should allow Ireland to sign up to the EU habitat's directive and to control potentially damaging developments in land use.

Having listened to Deputies Killeen and de Valera it is good to note that we are not as acrimonious as we might have been some time ago. It is our duty to lead the community and set the example. This is a good report and we should encourage the community to follow it and do all we can to improve tourism in the area. I thank Deputy de Valera who applied much pressure on the Minister to have this report discussed. It is good to see all of us working in the one direction. This is about reconciliation. As Deputy Killeen said, the issue was divisive and is still a problem in the community. Let us try by our example to get it going again.

The people of Clare have had time to reflect on the proposed site for Mullaghmore and the majority believe — in contrast to Deputy Killeen's view — that the original proposal, which was described at the time as the only option available, was too narrow in its prescription. I believe now, as I did then, that the dispersal of visitors from the environmentally sensitive areas, such as Mullaghmore, to the local villages, including Corofin, Kilfenora and Ballyvaughan, is required. The report endorses this point. It ensures the environmental damage which existed with the Mullaghmore site is prevented and maximises the economic potential for locals. Many people would like to benefit from the environmental potential of the area and the wider view of the location's development is now shared by an increasing percentage of the population.

An interesting aspect of the report is the highlighting of how the pressure on agricultural production in the 1970s and 1980s affected the conservation of the region. We must thank the farmers who did much work but preserved the area. They must be encouraged to continue to do so, but they also need adequate economic and agricultural development. They must be encouraged to stay in the area because one of the problems facing rural areas is depopulation. The Minister for Education recently announced that the small national school in Carron, which was due to lose a teacher, will be retained as a two teacher school. This is an encouraging sign that the Government is interested in rural areas and concerned about depopulation. This should be welcomed. This matter is not just a small local issue; other major aspects are involved.

As Deputy Killeen said, tourism is essential for the well-being of the region. Winter tourism is particularly important and the Minister for Tourism and Trade is considering how to encourage this type of tourism in the area. The plan is strong in that regard because one can go to the mountains in January and February in Ireland. In Europe people go to the mountains for snow holidays and many Irish people take sun holidays at that time. It is nice to encourage walks in the area and this should be done. If the idea of winter tourism was taken on board, people might open bed and breakfasts over Christmas and families might be encouraged to go to the region. This aspect is important in terms of development and increased revenue in the area.

Tourists should be encouraged to visit the different areas in addition to the local centres because each part of the Burren has a different aspect which can be enjoyed. The centres should be used to encourage people to visit the various parts. The impression is that only one type of tourist visits Ireland, but the Burren attracts many different types, including people on bicycles, backpackers and those who love walking. Provision should also be made for these people. If these aspects are considered, different types of tourists could be attracted to the area. Even if they only spend a few pence here and there, it all helps the development of the area.

Road widening is not necessary to encourage such tourists to visit the area. Narrow roads are part of Ireland and small lay-bys encourage people to stay alert. It is important that the roads are not widened because this damages the environment. Clare County Council caused some damage, but restrictions have been placed on it. It should be encouraged to go back to rectify some of the damage, if possible. The Minister mentioned another contentious issue, the car park in the area. However, this matter can be overcome with further consultation. The dispersal of cars to different parts should be encouraged.

Everybody in north Clare will benefit from the plan and it should be considered as a major resource. Other areas are pertinent to the overall development of the region and some people have missed out. I recently received submissions from the GAA asking me to examine the development of Michael Cusack's house in the Carron area. This could be a great tourist attraction because although we lost last week, hurling is still an attractive sport. Our team is young and we will be back next year. I asked the GAA for a business plan regarding the development of the house. It has been lobbying me for some time and this matter should be considered. It is good that I am being lobbied by different areas. People may have other ideas about this matter in the future.

A telephone mast was developed near ancient tombs in the Burren recently. This is contrary to the report and it is of concern because it shows what could happen in future. People do not want such masts in the Burren because it would ruin what everybody has been trying to achieve. It would be helpful if the Department examined this matter. Mobile telephones do not work well in that region and this is the reason for the mast. However, it could be placed elsewhere and this aspect should be considered.

I was also lobbied recently about Lemenagh Castle. Between 300,000 and 500,000 people visit the historic castle each year. It was part of earlier discussions and EU funding should be sought for its development, which is important. Perhaps the Minister could consider these aspects because it could be another Bunratty Castle. The more development which take place in the area, the better for everybody. The work will cost £3 million and I do not know if the Minister has that type of money. However, perhaps he will consider its development when he is part of the next Government.

Mr. Killeen

In five years' time.

Dr. Bhamjee

The issue which faced the previous Government was money. If the project was not completed within a certain time, the money would not be available from Europe. I am glad that aspect has faded into the background because conservation and heritage are priceless. They will be there when we are all dead and buried. However, a time limit should be set for the project and money be allocated to it. People are concerned that pressure should be brought to bear in that regard to ensure it gets up and running. I thank the Minister, Deputies de Valera and Killeen are also concerned about this matter. Progress will be made and reconciliation should be encouraged.

Mr. Hughes

I wish to share my time with Deputy Sargent.

Acting Chairman (Miss Coughlan)

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Mr. Hughes

I am the first non-Clare Deputy to contribute to the debate. I will not ask the Minister for money for Mayo because if Deputy Bhamjee's long list of requests are met, his budget will be almost exhausted. However, I wish him the best of luck over the next five years, inside or outside the House.

I congratulate the Minister on his efforts in the previous and current Governments to establish a national park in Mayo. It is a worthy project which is well supported by the county and particularly by the people in the vast region between Newport and Erris. This area contains thousands of acres of unique blanket bog. If I recall correctly, approximately 12,000 acres is under the ownership of the Office of Public Works. I urge the Minister to continue to enlarge that unique area. With the co-operation of Mayo County Council, a joint study is being carried out and consultations are taking place between local people, elected representatives, statutory bodies and experts.

My main reason for contributing to this debate is that there are parallels between what happened in the Burren area and what the Government is trying to achieve in Mayo. While the Burren study involves four reports, I will concentrate on the one on natural heritage areas. I hope the Minister will be in a position to make a formal announcement about the Mayo national park sooner rather than later. That park would be capable of attaining the status of a world heritage site and could be considered under the NATURA 2000 programme.

I do not know if the Minister has had an opportunity to visit the Céide Fields.

Mr. M. Higgins

Yes, after it was discovered and when it was developed.

Mr. Hughes

While there can be too much consultation, particularly with outsiders, on some matters, the Céide Fields might not have been developed if there had been the controversy that surrounded attempts to establish other interpretative centres. The Céide Fields are located in a scenic area and have been developed sensitively and the people there are proud of its success. The building, which has magnificent architecture, is located in a remote area and, apart from what it interprets, the project has been extremely successful. I hope many other centres are established with the co-operation of all concerned.

Mayo has the largest proposed acreage designated for natural heritage status, and this includes a large area west of Ballycastle and Lough Mask. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry stated that every commonage to the west of those areas is mountainous and has encouraged farmers to avail of REPS to rejuvenate the commonages. We have had extremely heavy rainfall for the past ten years, but because of the good weather last year and so far this year, most of the commonages are green again. We should endeavour to do what people have done in Scotland for the past 20 years and what is now being done in Australia. Soil should be tested and, with the agreement of the landowners, liquid aerial manuring should be carried out to fertilise those mountains. The problem relates to climate, not stock. While I accept we do not have the necessary scientific evidence to prove this and that officials have good intentions, I want my constituents to be able to make a viable living.

I support the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry's call for sustainable farming in accordance with farm by farm inspection. It has suggested a stocking level of one ewe to one acre up to a level of one ewe to seven acres, depending on the farm. In more severe cases it has suggested a lower rate for one or two years until the commonage is rejuvenated. I support the Department's stance in that regard as it would ensure viable farming and encourage farmers to avail of the REPS. To date no farmer in my area has been notified that his or her land has been included in NHA. Those who are aware their lands have been included were not given formal notification. They received the information at public meetings or inspected maps which were deposited in various offices. The consultation process leaves much to be desired. It is important to have the support of the farming community. I support the main thrust of what the Minister is trying to achieve.

Mr. M. Higgins

I met members of the western committee of the IFA last week.

Mr. Hughes

I accept that, but the IFA does not represent all farmers. Officials of the Office of Public Works met officials of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry last week to discuss the most suitable stocking rates for farmers in NHA areas applying for REPS. It has been suggested there should be one ewe ranging six to 17 acres of blanket bog, depending on the condition of the bog, but that was not greeted with great applause in Mayo where there are many acres of blanket bog. In effect, a farmer with 100 acres of commonage, if at the upper end of the range, might be entitled to have only six ewes on that 100 acres and he would not be inclined to apply for the REPS. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has suggested sustainable numbers. The Office of Public Works stocking rates should be linked to the rates for degraded areas suggested by the Department. The bogs in Erris traditionally carried out for five ewes and in the main farmers would accept the Department's formula and strongly resist that proposed by the Office of Public Works.

In the past farmers have been encouraged to avail of EU and State supports. In west Mayo farmers increased stock numbers, as advised by Teagasc. Isolated degraded areas are a direct result of State and European intervention. Farmers are the best conservators of a rural environment. They are not there for the short-term, they want to pass on a viable and sustainable holding to their sons and daughters. Like parts of Clare, the population of west Mayo is decreasing. We do not want it to become solely the playground for the playboys of Europe who come here on holidays to inquisitively look at how we eke out a living and leave us wondering how we managed without the tourism dollars for nine months of the year.

The Office of Public Works proposals that drains on deep wet areas should be blocked, presumably to ensure that the bogs do not dry out, have not been widely welcomed. Farmers believe that if such drains are blocked, bogs will become wet and pose a danger to their sheep. If the proposed stance of the Office of Public Works is adopted people considering availing of the REPS and reducing their stock levels may not proceed, which could prolong the overgrazing problem.

I tabled a number of questions on mining in the recent past. There have been attempts to renew a prospecting licence in the Doo Lough-Delphi Valley. I congratulate the Minister who, apart from the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, had the courage to answer the questions. Questions tabled to the Ministers for the Environment, Marine, Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Tourism and Trade were passed to the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. I was encouraged by his reply. The proposed prospecting area south of Westport and Croagh Patrick, which runs westwards as far as the Atlantic coast, is part of the largest natural heritage area in west Mayo. Why is it unacceptable for farmers to carry out certain traditional type farm practices while it is acceptable for mining companies to engage in prospecting, which involves drilling, trenching and noise? This natural heritage area in Mayo is frequented by a small flock of geese, although I have never seen them. I am not an expert on conversation, but I was encouraged to hear the Minister say he is concerned about such matters.

I look forward to the legislation. I will make every effort to protect our natural heritage and ensure mining does not take place. The future of the country is in agriculture and tourism. Since only a small number of people are involved in the mining industry it would be of little benefit to the local community and would provide only a short-term gain.

Mr. Sargent

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Seamus Hughes as a chuid ama a roinnt liom. Ba mhaith liom chomh maith chomhgháirdeas a ghabháil leis an Aire as an tuairisc seo a chur os ár gcomhair. Is ábhar maith díospóireachta é. Tá roinnt rudaí ann gur féidir linn aontú orthu agus cúpla rud eile nach féidir linn aontú orthu.

The Minister probably expects me to talk about Dublin North but, even though Dunsoghly Castle in St. Margaret's inspired the roof of Bunratty Castle, I will refrain from doing so and instead direct my attention to the Burren. The Minister is trying to come to terms with the aftermath of a controversy. He is in a difficult position given that part of the development, particularly at Mullaghmore, was far advanced when work was stopped as a result of legal action and there was a call for the matter to be reconsidered. The foundation of the interpretative centre is, however, still in existence, as is the sewerage infrastructure, allowing for a future administration, in which Labour may be involved, to revert to the original plan.

As in the case of the Burren, the decision not to go ahead with the casino in Dublin West was a good one. My colleague in the European Parliament, Patricia McKenna, sought reassurance in that regard, and I hope Fianna Fáil gives an assurance that if it returns to Government it will stand by the decision.

Mr. Lawlor

The Deputy should not talk rubbish. Patricia McKenna was trying to make a political football of the matter.

Mr. Sargent

It is important that such an assurance be given.

Mr. Lawlor

We do not have to answer the Deputy's questions.

Mr. Sargent

I stand over my request, which is reasonable and should be answered in a civil way.

There is a reference in the report to the fact that villages such as Corofin will act as tourist centres, providing information on the Burren. That principle, which is welcome, should be further developed. The question, however, still needs to be answered as to why a facility is needed at Mullaghmore. Different figures have been quoted as to the number of people who will visit the area — 100,000 was mentioned and some people even forecast that the number will be 200,000. The Cliffs of Moher, an attraction that provides little revenue to the State, attracts 450,000 visitors. In terms of conservation, the figures given are horrendous, and the area may not necessarily benefit in economic terms. I hope the sewerage works will be dismantled so that there will not be a temptation in future to go ahead with the original plan. The fact that road widening took place is also an invitation to those who may wish to revert to the original plan in the future.

Given that the size of the national park is minimal in a European context, a vast extension of it would be welcome taking into account ecological factors such as the wetlands, as referred to by Éamon de Buitléir. The Minister has a limited remit in regard to the Burren. We should aspire to conserving the Burren by devising an integrated plan, taking into account the needs of farmers, people involved in tourism, local people and those with a wider interest in the Burren. If the area is to be conserved such a plan must be implemented.

I hope the Minister will develop the concept that local villages will be the main tourist centres and that the Mullaghmore site will be protected by removing any temptation for a reversion to the original plan. Local people should be involved in development of the area, not only through consultation, but there should be greater local autonomy, with decisions taken on a democratic basis.

This is a worthwhile debate. We are dealing with an issue of national importance, but the debate should be locally focused. It is important that all those who made submissions are thanked, as they played a major part in the development of the area.

The implementation of the rural environment protection scheme is very welcome but we must be vigilant in regard to its implementation as I understand certain unscrupulous people participating in it may be considering disposing of some artefacts because it costs too much to protect them. That aspect should be taken into consideration when we are talking about a conservation policy.

It is vital that the Minister makes every effort to have the habitats directive transposed into Irish law as soon as possible. Because of the existing vacuum we are losing precious habitats and artefacts to overseas countries. That should not be allowed to continue and I hope the Minister will give this matter urgent consideration.

Mr. Lawlor

I welcome the fact that the Minister has put on the record the details of the Brady Shipman Martin report. We must now take stock of what was achieved by the protracted, tortuous and highly expensive exercise that was embarked upon. The Minister, who one might say was opposed politically and otherwise to the Office of Public Works proposal, is now trying to find fancy words and is quoting extracts from the Brady Shipman Martin report to recommend what is now being proposed for the new site, lest it ever be deemed that he said toilet and staff facilities, limited visitor information, basic shelter, etc. should be provided on the Mullaghmore site.

Mr. M. Higgins

On a point of order, the Deputy is referring to a quotation made by me in my opening statement. It is wrong for him to suggest that was my recommendation. The Deputy should give the reference for the quotation.

Mr. Lawlor

That is what the Minister said in his opening statement, he is now proposing for the site.

Mr. M. Higgins

That is not what I said. The Deputy should do me the courtesy of reading my contribution.

Mr. Lawlor

He is now saying the Office of Public Works is to prepare a planning application. Is that not what he is saying?

Mr. M. Higgins

And we go back to the drawing board.

Mr. Lawlor

He is going back to the point where he first came into this controversy. Millions of pounds have been spent since then——

Mr. M. Higgins

The Deputy should have read my contribution before he came in here blustering.

Mr. Lawlor

I have read the Minister's contribution and the waffle contained in it. I have read all about the various reports.

Mr. M. Higgins

That kind of language is cheap.

Mr. Lawlor

The Minister should have stayed out of this matter and let the due process take its course.

Mr. M. Higgins

There were a number of matters the Deputy could have stayed out of with benefit to everybody——

Acting Chairman

The Deputy, without interruption.

Mr. Lawlor

He should have trusted the Office of Public Works, Clare County Council and the environmental experts.

Mr. M. Higgins

——and they are well known to everybody.

Acting Chairman

I must ask the two Members to contain themselves.

Mr. Lawlor

I am simply addressing the issues arising from the Minister's contribution; if he cannot listen to them, that is his problem. The reality is that the Minister does not have any confidence now in the Office of Public Works. He dragged an organisation through the courts and he comes back into this House waffling about getting the Office of Public Works to lodge a planning application for the Mullaghmore site.

Mr. M. Higgins

That is not so.

Mr. Lawlor

That is what the Minister is doing and it is a most incompetent way of dealing with this whole area. Do we need people to come from Holland to tell Clare County Council the value of the Burren, its historical background and the need to protect it? That exercise was the greatest waste of taxpayers' money and the European Union will probably demand its funding be returned, thanks to the Minister's inefficiency and incompetence in this matter. That is the reality, courtesy of the Minister's contribution today.

Mr. M. Higgins

That is the opinion of a yahoo.

Mr. Lawlor

In his contribution the Minister tried to dress up the incompetence he has displayed since taking office. Has he ever visited Glenbeigh, one of the finest parks in Ireland, where the Office of Public Works built an interpretative centre which is sensitively located in such a way that it blends in with the local environment? People were looking after our environment long before the Minister ever took an interest in it.

The Minister fouled the due process in the case and the matter ended up in the courts with points of law being considered in regard to planning matters. He now tells us the matter must be clarified even before he can allow what he believes is the correct report to be implemented. That is what has happened here.

Did the Minister ever hear of a special amenity area order? Does he not appreciate the fact that Clare County Council has a county development plan into which various protections are built? Why did the Minister not trust the officials in Clare County Council to evaluate environmental impact studies? Does he not have the same trust in the elected members and officials of Clare County Council? He should have trusted them but he did not, for political reasons. Some of his academic colleagues in Galway launched a campaign and he hitched his political wagon to it. He has done a U-turn in regard to the proposal he supported in this report, and he cannot deny that.

Rather than have it said that the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht proposed development on the Mullaghmore site, he came up with a townland name to which he referred in his opening statement and which he says is the name by which the site will be known. That is totally different from what was proposed——

Mr. M. Higgins

No, it is not.

Mr. Lawlor

——and it is time wasting nonsense. The Minister then tried to broaden the terms of the study of north Clare. The report does not refer to anything that was not already protected in the Burren.

Mr. M. Higgins

That is not so.

Mr. Lawlor

I want to outline what I believe will happen in regard to this site. Hopefully, because of awareness nationally and internationally of the Burren, many thousands of people will visit the area. At some stage in the future the Minister, or his successor, will inform the House that the facilities to which he referred in his opening statement are being extended——

Mr. M. Higgins

Now we are getting the agenda.

Mr. Lawlor

——due to the chaos being caused by the increase in the number of visitors. If the Minister does not take any action now, chaos will be created in this area because people will always want to visit the Burren due to the worldwide interest in the area. If the Minister does not provide facilities for those visitors, the local people will be totally inconvenienced. The facilities to which the Minister referred in his opening statement will probably have to be extended because of the level of interest in the area, and the Minister will be unable to do anything about it. He cannot turn people away and he will be caught in the mess he has created.

The original proposal was put forward by people who have distinguished records in regard to protecting our environment. The Glenbeigh park is probably the best example of how an interpretative centre should be built having regard to the local environment, yet the Minister told us today that such sites should have basic audio-visual facilities. They were provided for in the original proposal.

Brady Shipman Martin were also involved in preparing a report on the canals. The parks department of Dublin County Council has responsibility for approximately 6,000 acres, including the most sensitive parkland settings in the county. It has done excellent work in this regard over the years. Are these reports and studies an excuse because the Minister does not have the funding to carry out the work? We did not need a study of the canals to be carried out to tell us that tow paths are needed, the locks need to be replaced and basic facilities should be provided.

Mr. M. Higgins

Is the Deputy against the report on the canals also?

Mr. Lawlor

The chief planning officer in Dublin County Council compiled a report on the Royal Canal and the recommendations contained therein were implemented by the staff of the council. No difficulties arose in that regard yet we have consultants' reports after consultants' reports——

Mr. M. Higgins

Is the Deputy against the canals report as well as this report?

Mr. Lawlor

I am in favour of action, not reports. The Minister's Department is snowed under with reports, studies, etc. What has the Minister done in regard to any of these issues since he took office other than request consultants' reports?

Mr. M. Higgins

I started work on the canals.

Mr. Lawlor

That is all he has achieved to date. I ask him to give me one example of a waterway he approved for draining or a location where tow paths have been provided, other than those provided by a previous Minister. All the Minister has to his credit are consultant's reports, nothing more.

Mr. M. Higgins

That is not so.

Mr. Lawlor

He has not even given a timescale for this work. He is simply asking the Office of Public Works, cap in hand, to do what he referred to in his opening statement. That represents the greatest waste of public money and there will be a demand from the European Union for the funds it allocated and which the Minister inefficiently wasted.

Debate adjourned.