The budget introduced last Wednesday by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, provides once again, in a significant way, for the implementation by the Office of Public Works of Government policy in the areas of public sector accommodation, arterial drainage, development of inland waterways, conservation of national monuments and historic properties, management of national parks, the protection of flora and fauna and the operation of the Government Supplies Agency.
It is important that we should acknowledge at this stage, the tremendous contribution which the Office of Public Works have made to Irish life since they were established over 160 years ago. There is hardly a parish in the country which at some stage or another has not benefited from the operations of the Office of Public Works.
A number of years ago some concern was expressed about the office's handling of certain projects and there were calls for radical measures. It would have been easy to go with the tide but the Taoiseach, with his usual foresight, saw that the Office of Public Works had a vital role to play and that what was necessary was a fine tuning of their operations with greater focus on achieving their targets on time and within budget. As usual he was right and it can hardly have escaped the notice of the Members of the House that the Office of Public Works have put their affairs in order and now enjoy the confidence of Government and public alike.
The budget makes provision for the continuation of work of the highest standard in the provision of State accommodation. I could be said to be a visitor to Dublin and I can see the great improvements that have been carried out to our public buildings in recent years. Dublin's upsurge architecturally can be traced back to the work of the Office of Public Works as agent of this Government. Dublin Castle, the venue of our Presidency of the EC in the first half of 1990, the Custom House, and the former College of Science now Government Buildings, are a testimony to this — and we have not finished yet. I was particularly proud of the major contribution made by the Office of Public Works to Dublin's year as Cultural Capital of Europe.
The budget provides for a continuation of works at Dublin Castle at the Treasury Building in the lower castle yard. It also provides for the continuation of the Garda building programme as well as the completion of phase II of the major upgrading of Templemore Garda Training Centre. New courtrooms are being provided in the Four Courts this year as well.
In order that the unemployed can transact their affairs with dignity we have a programme for the provision of new and improved employment exchanges. This year the budget provides for the completion of the new exchange at Finglas and I hope that work will start later in the year in Tallaght, at the Navan Road, Dublin, and on the adaptation of Carlow employment exchange.
I am particularly proud of the role being played by the Office of Public Works in the Government's programme of decentralisation. As the House is aware, the decentralisation programme is a major policy objective of this Government. It is based on the need for a more widespread location of public service jobs and job opportunities. Over the years, many provincial regions suffered considerably from the effects of emigration of its people, particularly the young generation, to Dublin to work in the public sector. While they maintained strong ties with their native areas, there were little or no opportunities to return on a permanent basis. The decentralisation programme is giving that opportunity to substantial numbers of people. There is also the very desirable long term objective of helping to reduce regional imbalances and the pressures on the Dublin region. As a rural Deputy I cannot emphasise too strongly the importance of this programme, to which Deputy Nealon also referred in his contribution.
Phase one of the programme was completed in 1989 and saw the transfer of some 850 staff to Cavan, Galway, Sligo and Ballina. Phase two is well on the way to completion: offices at Letterkenny, Killarney and Athlone are occupied by over 500 staff and projects are under way in the remaining three centres, Ennis, Nenagh and Limerick. The building in Ennis has been completed and the building in Nenagh will be completed shortly. The building in Limerick is scheduled for completion at the end of the year. Over 900 staff of the Revenue Commissioners will occupy the three buildings.
Phase three of the programme was announced last June. It involves moving sizeable sections of nine Government Departments to eight important provincial centres — Cork, Longford, Tullamore, Kilkenny, Wexford, Portlaoise, Dundalk and Waterford. The number of staff to be moved will be in the region of 1,500. A contract has been entered into in respect of accommodation in Kilkenny and work has begun on site. Tenders will be received this month for the offices in Longford and Cork and construction work is expected to begin in the summer of this year. Preparatory work in relation to the other centres is in hands.
It has been possible to implement and maintain this major capital programme through an innovative and imaginative partnership between the private sector and the State. It has resulted in a design-build-finance arrangement which is a novel approach in the context of State building development in this country. A competitive tendering arrangement results in the successful developer providing a new building for the State on a deferred purchase basis over a period of 20 years. The cost of the accommodation provided so far compares very favourably with the cost of rented space in Dublin.
It is the towns which have been selected as locations for decentralisation which will benefit most from the programme. The local economy of these towns has received a considerable boost by the injection of, on average, about £3 million annually in wages and salaries. This has major spinoff effects for local business, shopkeepers and house builders.
The benefits are not confined, however, to economic ones; there are important social effects which impact on the regions. The arrival of upwards of 200 people in a particular area will play a very important role in the regeneration process of that region and will help in no small way in the future development and vitality of the region. Immediate benefits will be felt by the various sporting, cultural and social organisations and outlets.
The decentralisation programme helps to maintain and expand employment in the building industry. It is reckoned that the completion of seven projects so far has resulted in capital expenditure of some £14.75 million. Jobs in progress at present and those scheduled to start in 1992 will involve further capital expenditure of about £22 million, and the remainder of the current programme will result in expenditure of the order of £12 million.
This substantial capital expenditure has been achieved through the use of the design-build-finance arrangement at a time when the Government are committed to reducing the debt burden. It shows the Government's support for the building industry and their determination to maintain jobs in the industry using a novel approach to the State's building programme.
The Government are proud of what has been achieved by decentralisation. The towns to which public service staff have already been moved are reaping the economic benefits of the programme. A welcome shot in the arm has been provided to the business, commercial and social life of the communities and to the building industry generally. This budget will ensure that the remainder of the programme will be carried out with similar success and with similar benefit to all concerned.
It is no idle boast to say that the Office of Public Works was "green" long before that term became fashionable. I know from experience that the Office have pursued an enlightened and imaginative approach to the protection of our environment, both built and natural. Perhaps the Office foresaw the growth in visitor numbers to this island and their capacity now to deal with the large inflow is evidence of that foresight. While always conscious that conservation of the resource is the primary objective, this has nevertheless always been balanced with the need to provide for access to monuments, or landscapes through the provision of appropriate infrastructure. I will have more to say about this later.
The conservation of areas of outstanding landscape quality and representative types of ecosystems is the most important function of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Five national parks have been established and to date 71 nature reserves, five refuges for fauna and 68 wildfowl sanctuaries have been designated. Suitable sites for conservation purposes will be acquired as they become available. Additional funds are being provided for this purpose in the current year and I expect further funds will become available through the EC later in the year under new regulations.
As all will be aware, there is an increasing interest in all sections of the community in the conservation of our environment. The National Parks and Wildlife Service are playing a major role by identifying areas which need to be conserved as part of our natural heritage. These areas have been classified as Areas of Scientific Interest, ASIs, and include such areas as peatlands, dune systems, wetlands, grasslands, bird sites and marine areas. For some time past the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been reviewing their policy on ASIs and a report will shortly be presented to Government on this important issue, taking account of the recent High Court judgment.
In the area of international co-operation the problems and challenges which face wildlife conservation are common to all states and do not recognise national boundaries. The National Parks and Wildlife Service service a number of international conventions in this area. The EC Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds is implemented in Ireland by the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the provisions of the Wildlife Act, 1976, as amended. The Council of Environment Ministers of the member states of the European Community agreed in December 1991 to a new Habitat Directive. This is very important for wildlife conservation and places an obligation on member states to protect habitats and species of European importance. I know that there are those who will express concern when EC Directives place strictures on us and impose new obligations. Very often local communities feel an extra burden is placed on them. Yet in the overall European Community and national interest these are necessary.
I should like to refer to one or two projects in this area which are provided for in the budget. The provision of a new interpretative centre in Coole Park Nature Reserve, County Galway, is nearing completion and will be opened to the public later this year. The interpretative centre at the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve in County Wexford has recently been upgraded and fitting out works will commence shortly. Works are continuing on the establishment of a nature park at Doneraile, County Cork. Nineteen ninety two will see the completion of the new park interpretative exhibition and information area at Muckross House in Killarney National Park. It will be open in time for the main summer season. Further improvement works are to be carried out in the area surrounding Muckross House, in particular the main car park which will be landscaped. A further contract for the eradication of rhododendron ponticum from the park will be carried out this year. This will be supplemented by summer workcamps of voluntary conservation workers. This "introduced" shrub threatens the continued existence of the native woodlands in the park and must be eradicated if this important element of our natural heritage is to survive.
Ireland's countryside has to a great extent been preserved intact partly by traditional farming methods and late industrialisation compared to other European countries. All of us have a responsibility to pass on this unique and valued heritage to future generations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will continue to preserve this heritage and promote the conservation of our flora and fauna. I need not stress the importance of a clean environment and preservation of our natural heritage.
This budget provides for the erection of a number of major interpretative centres. At this stage I want to say how extremely disappointed I am that our actions in the Office of Public Works are misunderstood. We are, after all, the Government's principal heritage conservation agency and we have no intention of bringing about a deterioration of the great fund of national assets which we have painstakingly built up over many years. Everything we are doing at our heritage sites is a continuation of a well-defined policy relating to the management of public access to the heritage landscape. What we are doing fully conforms with Government policy in the matter, as enunciated by the Taoiseach when he opened the Council of Europe Colloquy on "Access to the Heritage Landscape" in Dublin Castle last September.
While the identification and conservation of our heritage, both natural and cultural, must remain a priority, this in itself is not enough. This heritage belongs to the people and it is essential to provide public access to that heritage where this can be done in sympathy with traditional usage and presentation. To this end my office have continued to seek control of heritage areas through acquisition and management agreements with landowners. However, conservation cannot be successful through the actions of the State alone. It is vital to inform and educate the general public so that every citizen will be aware of the importance of conservation and will approach the management of his or her own property with an eye to conservation. Interpretative centres are a key element of our strategy to inform and educate the public. At these centres the public will be given an experience of an element of our natural or cultural heritage and an interpretation of the importance of that element and what conditions are necessary so that it will survive for future generations to see and experience.
The Government have provided money in this budget to enable work to start this year on interpretative centres at Dún Caoin, An Blascaod Mór, County Kerry; Wicklow National Park, Corlea Bog, County Longford and Boyne Valley National Archaeological Park, County Meath. These centres have been designed with great sensitivity, to the highest standards and subject to strict environmental controls. Independent environmental impact statements have confirmed in the first three cases that these centres will not cause any significant adverse environmental impacts. The independent environmental impact statement on the Burren National Park Centre will be published this week and I would be surprised if it does not show that there will be no adverse impacts arising from this project. Should that be the case, I would expect that having gone through the appropriate public consultation process, we would be able to commence work on this centre before the end of the year. An environmental impact statement is being prepared for the Corlea Bog Centre and this will be published in due course.
I had the honour, on behalf of Ireland, to sign the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage. This was done at the Third European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage held in Malta on 16-17 January last. The convention aims to ensure a common Europe-wide approach to the protection of the archaeological heritage based on sound scientific principles and the best international standards. The main provisions of the convention require: statutory protection of archaeological remains and the establishment of inventories of sites, support for maintenance and research, regulation of archaeological excavation and the movement of artefacts, integration of conservation policies into the planning process, promotion of scientific study and public awareness and the exchange of information and expertise with other states. I am glad to say that Ireland, mainly through the activities of the Office of Public Works, conforms with these requirements and that, following the proposed legislative changes to give further protection to archaeological artefacts, we will have a very sound statutory basis for the protection of our archaeological heritage.
The Minister's conference also welcomed the participation of several of the newly-structured Eastern European countries and resolved to assist them by providing technical support and advice, as it is recognised that one of the most effective ways of integrating with the West is through the areas of culture and heritage. Ireland, through the Office of Public Works, will contribute to this process by offering to make available its expertise gained over the last 30 years in archaeological survey techniques. Other means of encouraging pan-European co-operation in the cultural heritage field will also be explored, including participation in exchanges of experts, professional workshops, training, studies on the effects of pollution on antiquities, archaeological research and projects to raise public awareness such as the annual European Heritage Day.
A sum of £16 million is being provided this year for national monuments and historic properties. This covers a wide range of activities reaching every corner of the country. It includes archaeological survey and excavation, conservation work on national monuments, ongoing maintenance of monuments and parks and the provision of improved facilities for the public at selected sites.
I am happy to announce that the first stage of an accelerated programme of archaeological survey will be completed this year and sites and monuments records for each country will be available. This will enable the various planning authorities and other organisations such as Coillte and the Farm Development Service to ensure that our archaeological heritage is protected from inappropiate development. With this programme drawing to a successful conclusion the Office of Public Works has now commenced an inventory of our entire post 1700 A.D. architectural heritage. This is a necessary prerequisite to establishing the mechanism which will ensure the survival of this important part of our built heritage.
This year's budget also provides over £6 million for the maintenance and development of inland waterways. Deputies will be aware that the Canals Act, 1986, transferred responsibility for the Grand and the Royal Canals and for the Barrow navigation from CIE to the Office of Public Works. This was most important legislation since it conferred on the Office of Public Works the duty to develop these waterways as a public amenity. The Commissioners set about this task with enthusiasm with the result that today the Grand Canal is fully navigable from Ringsend to the Shannon and the Barrow, which is connected to the Grand Canal by a stretch of canal known as the Barrow Line, is fully navigable to St. Mullins and all the way to Waterford for more experienced boatmen. Steady progress is also being made on the restoration of the Royal Canal, which many people had feared would prove impossible. Already navigation is possible from Mullingar to the suburbs of Dublin and it is expected that the eagerly awaited breakthrough to the Liffey will be made towards the end of this year. Restoration work is also proceeding steadily westwards from Mullingar towards Longford and the Shannon at Clondra. There are major obstacles to be overcome including low bridges and other crossings which would obstruct navigation and the availability of an adequate water supply is a critical factor. All of these matters are under active consideration in the Office of Public Works and I have every confidence now that the target of opening navigation along the full length of the Royal Canal will be attained.
An enormous amount of progress has been made in the six years since the Office of Public Works assumed responsibility for the system and it is hard to believe that not so long ago these waterways were regarded as derelict and there were proposals to fill them in and turn them into roadways. The maintenance and development of these waterways for amenity purposes is a multifaceted project. In addition to navigation they can and have been used for fishing, walking, swimming and canoeing.
The canals in particular have the potential to become very important coarse fisheries with a significant tourist potential as well as providing enjoyment for the local angling clubs. Significant progress is also being made on the development of the fisheries aspect of the waterways. The Office of Public Works have engaged the Central Fisheries Board to undertake a five year development programme involving restocking of the canals, weed control and water quality monitoring. The All-Ireland Coarse Angling Championships were held on the Grand Canal in Dublin last year and there are a number of international angling competitions being established on both the Grand and Royal Canals.
The potential of the waterways as walking routes is virtually unlimited, passing as they do through so many towns and villages. There is a great diversity of flora and fauna to be found and enjoyed throughout the system. The Commissioners have engaged botanists for the past number of years and propose to do so again this year to survey the system to identify scientifically and environmentally important areas. The policy of the Office of Public Works in managing the system is to conserve species by facilitating natural growth and development to the maximum extent possible. There are instances from time to time where the clearing of areas is essential but in such cases the areas will be allowed to regenerate naturally.
The maintenance of such a network is not, of course, without its difficulties. Deputies will, I am sure, recall the major breach which occurred on the Grand Canal at Ticknevin near Edenderry in County Offaly in 1989. This was quickly and expertly repaired.
The Commissioners have been developing facilities on the Shannon on a progressive basis for many years. Projects which were completed last year included major repair to Victoria Lock and Meelick Weir and the provision of a new pier at Portrunny. Work is currently under way on the construction of major extensions to Terryglass Pier and the harbour at Banagher. The extension of navigation to Ballinasloe along the River Suck is in progress and work will start shortly on the re-opening of Lough Allen Canal to extend navigation to Lough Allen.
Work is in progress on a major cross-Border project to re-open the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal. This work, which is jointly sponsored by the British and Irish Governments, is being undertaken under a special arrangement with the ESB. It is due for completion late next year. The Office of Public Works have commenced the task of preparing a management plan to ensure that they will be in a position to maintain and operate the canal to the highest standards once it is re-opened.
A survey of the Erne navigation was undertaken last year and work to remove some obstructions will be undertaken later this year.
I look forward eagerly to the day in the not too distant future when the cities and towns of Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Ballinasloe, Enniskillen and Belturbet will all be linked at the extremities of a fully navigable waterways network.
Following an extensive process of consultation, the Commissioners will shortly introduce by-laws for the control of the Shannon Navigation. The proposed by-laws are designed to improve the operation and enjoyment of the system for everyone. In carrying out their responsibilities for the operation and maintenance of the waterways system the Office of Public Works work in very close co-operation with voluntary organisations, local authorities and State agencies.
In the short time available to me I have demonstrated that this is a sound budget, particularly in so far as my area of responsibility is concerned, and I commend it to the House. I have touched on many aspects of the work of the Office of Public Works. The range of their operations is vast and today one will not find many serious critics of their work or the way they go about it. The Office of Public Works occupy a unique place in Irish life. They are a faithful trustee of our heritage and a loyal guardian of our environment, and that should always be the position.