Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020
134. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the functions transferred to his Department as part of the reconfiguration of the Department to include issues pertaining to heritage. [22828/20]
View answerThe Heritage Division of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is transferring to my Department. The transfer will take place in two stages, with the first stage due to take place on 9 September 2020.
There are linkages between some of my Department's existing legislation, for example on the planning side, and some of the transferring heritage functions which will need to be managed. In this first stage, the heritage functions where no legal or related operational issues arise will be transferred i.e. all Waterways functions (including Waterways Ireland), the Heritage Council and functions in the areas of National Monuments, Built Heritage, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, National Parks and Reserves and wildlife licensing and wildlife crime.
The second stage will take place at a later date when the legislative challenges that exist have been remedied in primary legislation. The functions/elements that will be transferred in the second stage include the Development Applications Unit, site protection and designations.
The process of transferring functions takes place in accordance with a Guidelines and Best Practice Handbook published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
