The main purpose of the Bill, which was introduced in the Seanad and received a Second Reading in this House in November 1994, is to establish a statutory Heritage Council to advise the Minister on heritage policy. I am proposing to introduce amendments which will ensure that the implementing agency, the Commissioners of Public Works, carry out that policy. This is theoretically the position which has pertained for the past two years — about which I was often asked questions — that is, since February 1993 when the then Government assigned to me, as Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, responsibility for the formulation and development of future policy on inland waterways, national parks and wildlife, and national monuments and historic properties, with the Commissioners of Public Works continuing to exercise their day to day functions in those areas but in accordance with policy decisions by me, setting out my priority areas and proposed implementation targets.
This position was unsatisfactory in that the Commissioners have certain statutory powers which cannot be transferred by way of Government order, and there were difficulties in practice in reconciling this position with the responsibilities for policy assigned to me as Minister. In order to remedy the situation, I am introducing amendments to the Heritage Council Bill, 1994, and these will be discussed following the passage of this motion.