Bernard J. Durkan
Question:76 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of theme parks or interpretative centres; the number in each region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2193/00]
Other Questions. - Heritage Sites.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:90 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of heritage houses open to the public; the plans, if any, she has to extend this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2192/00]
Tá sé i gceist agam Ceisteanna Uimh. 76 agus 90 a thógáil le chéile.
I assume the Deputy is referring to those houses and stately homes which fall into the cate gory of historic properties in State care and come under the remit of my Department. There are six such properties – Castletown House, Kildare; Emo Court, Laois; Derrynane House, Kerry; Muckross House, Kerry; Glebe House, Donegal; and Doneraile House, Cork. At present there are not any plans to add further properties to this list.
The State has a large portfolio of more than 700 national monuments and historic properties in its care. In all, there are 75 sites, ranging from parks, monuments, historic properties, gardens and waterways at which interpretative displays and visitor facilities are provided for the public. I will forward separately to the Deputy a copy of my Department's Heritage Sites of Ireland 2000 brochure which includes a detailed map, photographs and opening arrangements of these sites. The regional breakdown of the 75 sites is as follows:
|
Dublin |
14 |
|
South East |
14 |
|
Midlands East |
15 |
|
South West |
10 |
|
Shannon |
6 |
|
West |
9 |
|
North West |
7 |
|
Total |
75 |
Is there a long-term plan to acquire buildings which may have been offered for sale or which might be offered in the future? If buildings are offered for sale, will serious consideration be given to those offers? Can the Minister of State give the visitor numbers for heritage houses for each of the past five years? Are details regarding the facilities at theme parks and interpretative centres available on the Department's Internet site?
I will provide information regarding visitor numbers for the Deputy. There is a large number of properties in the Department's portfolio already and a great deal of work is required to be done on them. The maintenance and development of existing properties requires considerable sums of money and there will not ever be enough money to do all the things that any Minister would like to do. Both the Minister and I have a great personal interest in heritage properties. Further facilities have been opened to the public and a balance must be maintained between conservation and the provision of access to the public. That issue must be taken into account.
I do not know of any plans to acquire extra properties but that is an issue that should be taken on a case by case basis as properties become available. There will always be tension between acquiring more properties and providing and maintaining the best facilities at existing properties.
I am disappointed the Minister of State did not answer Deputy Kenny's question regarding the website. The principal point which should be taken into consideration with heritage properties is that they are a valuable tourism amenity. They are so valuable that Bord Fáilte, in its examination of the reasons tourists visited Ireland, placed heritage properties at the top. Does the Minister of State agree that his reply was disappointing in that he did not say the allocation was greater this year or that he had a plan for the improvement of the portfolio?
We seem to be wandering over and back between questions. We have already had a question on the allocation of money for Dúchas which I thought I had answered comprehensively. I do not see any point in covering the ground of questions already asked by Deputies which I have already answered. There was a question about the financial allocation for Dúchas, which is the heritage section of the Department, and I have already answered the question.
Is information on the facilities available on the website?
I stand to be corrected but I understand that is the subject of another question.
The Minister of State should be able to answer it now.
No, if it is the subject of another question, I will answer it when we reach the question. If questions have been tabled, it is important that the information be given when we reach the relevant questions.
It would be inappropriate for the Minister of State to answer a question on the Order Paper in other circumstances.
It is not inappropriate for the Minister of State to answer. The Ceann Comhairle and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle have said on numerous occasions that it is a matter for the Minister to give the answer.
Every Minister should confine himself or herself to the subject matter of the question and Deputies asking questions should confine themselves to the subject matter of the question. It would be inappropriate for the Minister to proceed to answer another question.
The Chairman of a tribunal said that, if Ministers had answered supplementary questions, we would not have had that tribunal.
I read these questions thoroughly this morning and, if memory serves me correctly, and I have a reasonable memory, there is a later reference to the website. If the Deputy examines the question, he will see it does not refer to websites. It is very specific and the information given in reply to it is specific.
(Dublin West): Tá an ceart ag an Leas-Cheann Comhairle go mba cheart go mbeadh ord sa rang agus, mar iar-mhúinteoir, ba cheart go mbeadh a fhios sin ag an Teachta Ó Cionnaith.
Agus tá na Teachtaí i gcónaí in ord, an ea?
(Dublin West): Dúirt an tAire Stáit go gcuirfeadh sé liosta ar fáil. An mbeidh an Blascaod Mór mar cheann de na páirceanna sa liosta sin? Cén plean atá ag an Aire Stáit, an tAire agus an Roinn chun an Blascaod Mór a chaomhnú mar pháirc náisiúnta stairiúil ós rud é gur chuir an Cúirt Uachtarach an tAcht chun é sin a dhéanamh ar leataobh?
Cuireadh an tAcht ar leataobh agus cothaíonn sé sin fadhbanna áirithe atá an Roinn ag scrúdú i láthair na huaire. Tá impleachtaí móra ag baint leis an Acht. Cén bealach a thiocfar ar aghaidh? Mar shampla, bealach amháin ná an tAcht a leasú le gur féidir talamh uilig mhuintir an oileáin a thógáil, cuma cén chaoi a thógtar é. Tá go leor bealaí ann ach an cheist ná go gcaithfear cinneadh a dhéanamh cén chaoi a thiocfaimid ar aghaidh. Is cosúil go gcaithfimid breathnú ar na féidireachtaí ar fad agus ní léir go bhfuil aon fhreagra simplí ar an gceist seo. Míníodh é sin ós comhair cúirte. Caithfear cinneadh a dhéanamh cad a dhéanfar leis an mBlascaod Mór. Is trua nach raibh mé in ann teacht ar réiteach leis na páirtithe éagsúla. Sin mar a bhí sé. Tógadh ós comhair cúirte é, thug an chúirt a breithiúnas agus sin é.
(Dublin West): Is fada an lá é ó bhí an cás cúirte agus gur tugadh an cinneadh sin. Cad atá déanta ag an Aire Stáit, ag an Aire nó an ag Roinn chun freagra a fháil ar an bhfadhb? An bhfuil aon phlean dearfa sna seachtainí ós ár gcomhair amach chun go ndéanfaí cinneadh ar an gceist chun go bhféadfaimis bheith deimhin go gcaomhnófar an Blascoad Mór mar oidhreacht mhuintir na tíre, na Gaeltachta and Chorca Dhuibne agus nach déanfar forbairt air nach mbéadh ceart nó comhair seachas forbairt a bhéadh le maitheas caomhnú agus muintir na Gaeltachta agus na tíre?
Ó thaobh cúrsaí forbartha de, tá freagra an-simplí ar an bhfadhb sin. Sé sin, d'fhéadfadh an t-údarás pleanála rialacha pleanála a leagan síos don cheantar mar a dhéantar i gcontaetha eile le déanamh cinnte nach bhféadfaí rud ar bith a fhorbairt nach mbéadh i dtiúin leis an áit. Chiallódh sé sin láithreach ó thaobh cúrsaí forbartha de go mbéadh cosaint ann ó fhorbairt nach mbéadh feiliúnach. Bhéadh súil agam go ndéanfadh Comhairle Chontae Chiarraí é sin agus glacaim leis go bhfuil sé sin déanta aige cheana féin. Go ginearálta faoin dtuath, tá sé fíor-thábhachtach go ndéanfaí cinnte de go mbeadh forbairt i dtiúin leis an áit, go mórmhór i láithreacha atá chomh tábhachtach leis an mBlascaod Mór. Tá freagrachtaí ar na húdaráisí áitiúla sa taobh sin.
Ní féidir liom a rá cén uair a dhéanfar cinneadh dearfa faoi seo. Ba bhreá leis an Roinn dá mbéadh an pháirc ann ach caithfimid déileáil leis an staid ní mar ba mhaith linn é a bheith ach mar atá sé, sé sin go raibh cás cúirte ann, go bhfuil impleachtaí móra ag éirí as an gcás cúirte sin agus go bhfuil staidéar fós á dhéanamh ar na h-impleachtaí sin. Cuirfidh mé imní an Teachta in iúl don Aire sinsearach, an Teachta de Valera, agus tá mé cinnte go dtógfaidh sí a bhfuil le rá ag an Teachta ar bord nuair atá sí ag déanamh cinneadh.