Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
368. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will confirm the successful applications for inclusion on the new tentative list of potential world heritage properties for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11441/22]
View answerThe National Monuments Service of my Department is currently undertaking further technical assessment of the applications to a new Tentative List. The following six applications were received by the deadline of 30 June 2021:
- The Passage Tomb Landscape of County Sligo
- Inis Cealtra, County Clare
- Transatlantic Cable Ensemble: Valentia-Heart’s Content, County Kerry and Newfoundland, Canada
- The Cultural Landscape of the Burren Uplands, County Clare
- The Royal Sites of Ireland, (Dún Ailinne, Hill of Uisneach, Cashel, Rathcroghan Complex, Tara Complex, and Navan Fort)
- Glendalough Valley, County Wicklow
As the Deputy will be aware I appointed an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to review all six applications and their recommendations were submitted to me and issued to the applicants last November. The EAG considered that only the Sligo application had sufficiently demonstrated Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), i.e. was able to show that the site was so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries. UNESCO's World Heritage requirements in respect of OUV are critical in determining what sites should be included on the Tentative List. The EAG determined that there was more work to be done by the other applicants to see if they could sufficiently demonstrate OUV. In addition, the EAG also considered that the full implications of being a World Heritage Property in terms of long-term management, protection and conservation, alongside capacity building and the resources needed to progress any future World Heritage nomination dossier required further consideration by all applicants.
Given the issues raised by the EAG, and having engaged further with all the applicants over recent weeks, my Department has reconvened the EAG to offer further detailed technical advice and support to all applicants, so they may attempt to address issues raised in terms of the EAG recommendations, and to offer further specific advice and guidance in terms of the future management of a World Heritage Property.
I anticipate that this current support process will be concluded around June 2022 and I would intend to make an announcement then on the composition of a new Tentative List. It is important to reiterate that only those sites whose applications - by the conclusion of this new support phase of engagement - clearly demonstrate OUV will be included on the new Tentative List. If by the conclusion of this current process, any applications require yet further work to determine eligibility in terms of OUV we will continue to offer our support.
It should be stressed that if any application does not demonstrate OUV for UNESCO World Heritage process purposes, this does not in any way lessen the significance of the site in terms of its heritage and meaning to those communities who care passionately about them; in such a case we would continue to offer our support in whatever way we can to ensure that this ambition for our wonderful heritage is recognised.
