Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:42 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the official definition of heritage by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2827/99]
Other Questions. - National Heritage Plan.
John Bruton
Ceist:65 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the reason she has abandoned the proposal to ask each local authority to prepare a local heritage plan and opted instead for a national plan with more consultation with local authorities without any requirement on them to prepare plans of their own. [1081/99]
Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:79 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the up to date position in relation to the National Heritage Plan. [2796/99]
I intend to take Questions Nos. 42, 65 and 79 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government An Action Programme for the Millennium contains a commitment to the development of a national heritage plan and to local heritage plans. As Minister with primary responsibility in relation to heritage, I have initiated the preparation of a national heritage plan. My Department has recently completed a broad public consultation process on the development of the plan and the 350 submissions received are currently being examined and assessed by the Department.
A parallel preparatory process is under way within my Department, including the analysis I already referred to and an overview of current management of heritage, with critical assessment of proposals for action. It is intended that these processes will be completed by mid-February and further detailed analysis of all the issues arising will be commenced, including cross-departmental consultation.
It is intended that the national heritage plan will provide the framework for the development of local heritage plans and will enable detailed consideration to be given to the process to be adopted in advancing the development of local heritage plans.
In relation to the question on the official definition of heritage, I assume the Deputy is raising this question in the context of the Government's commitment to the development of the national heritage plan. The terms of reference of the plan are to develop a national plan for the protection, conservation, management and presentation of the national heritage, the architectural and archaeological – both moveable and immovable – heritage, the inland waterways of the State, and documentary and archival heritage.
Aspects of the national heritage coming within the scope of the plan will include: natural heritage, including flora and fauna, habitats, geological features and other biodiversity elements, particularly in the context of the national biodiversity plan; archaeological heritage, including archaeological sites, monuments, areas, landscapes, artefacts/objects on land and under water; architectural, artistic and historic heritage, including buildings, structures, parks, gardens and objects of architectural, artistic and historic importance; natural and cultural landscapes; inland waterways; and documentary and archival heritage, including traditional music archives.
Can I take it from the Minister's reply that her Department has been working to date without any definitive definition of heritage? The terms of reference of the surveys carried out are of interest, but what is the official definition of heritage in her Department?
I take this opportunity of congratulating Deputy O'Shea on becoming the Labour Party's spokesperson for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. I am sure we will have an opportunity to spar on occasions.
To answer the Deputy's immediate question, I gave an all-embracing definition of the whole area of heritage in my reply when I referred to the scope of the national heritage plan. To recap, it concerns natural heritage, archaeological heritage, architectural, artistic and historical heritage, natural and cultural landscapes, inland waters, documentary and archival heritage. If anything has been left out of that list I would be delighted to hear from the Deputy.
Is it true that, in accordance with Question No. 65 tabled by Deputy John Bruton, local authorities are not now required to produce a local heritage plan? Has that decision actually been taken?
I am not aware of that decision. I hope and envisage that a national heritage plan will influence all the work being done at local level. I have always believed in a plan that involves a bottom-up approach. It is most important to have co-ordination at local level and not something that is simply trotted out from time to time at national level as Government policy. That is why the Department, at my instigation, ensured that there would be proper and all embracing consultation with the general public to see how they want us to translate our heritage into a national plan. With 350 submissions having been made we will get that kind of general and all-embracing approach.
Given that the British-Irish Agreement brings together important areas concerning the national heritage plan, are these submissions being made on an all-Ireland, all-island basis, or are they confined to the Twenty-six Counties? Is it intended that the national plan will be implemented throughout the 32 Counties? What staff levels are available to the Minister to examine 350 submissions? When these have been examined at the end of this month, will the Minister explain the mechanics and time-scale involved before the plan can be finalised and presented as a working programme?
As the Deputy knows, the arts, inland water and the Irish language will be under discussion in the North-South talks that are taking place at official level. In those areas particularly, we want to see what can be done as a priority about further co-ordination. After all, we are a very small country and the arts still concerns a small community. I want to see as much co-operation between the two parts of the island as possible. That matter is being worked on.
Regarding staffing, the Deputy, who previously served in Government, is aware that there is never enough staff to deal with all the issues that require attention. I congratulate the members of my staff who have worked particularly hard in perusing all the submissions and who will have them correlated by mid-February. The next step in the plan will be to consider the issue of cross-departmental consultation. I hope that will not take too long and there will be no delay on my part because I want to be in a position to implement the plan at the earliest possible opportunity.
This morning the Taoiseach indicated that work on a Bill dealing with the establishment of a new body to cover inland waterways, heritage and language is well advanced. Will the Minister confirm that is the position? I addressed the Taoiseach in the vernacular and I am not sure he understood my point. Is legislation well advanced regarding the new cross-Border activities in this area?
The Deputy may be assured that the Taoiseach understood the question put to him this morning. Work regarding the authorities in the North with specific reference to inland waterways, the arts and the Irish language is proceeding at official level. When matters begin to be formulated, I am sure we will be in a position to discuss them further.
I welcome the national and local heritage plans, but I am concerned about the position while plans are being drawn up and proposals put in place. I am aware of heritage sites of great national importance which are deteriorating rapidly. They cannot wait for plans to be drawn up. Are any contingency powers available to the Minister to intervene in such cases and at least stop the rot in terms of the deterioration of sites? This would mean that sites were repaired to the extent that they could wait for the provision of funds for full restoration in the future.
Ireland is particularly lucky to have so many sites which need attention from my Department and individuals in the case of private monuments. However, we do not have as much finance as we would wish. We take in hand as many buildings that are at risk as possible in terms of available resources. If the Deputy has any specific buildings in mind, I will be delighted to discuss them with him. I will be in a position to give a further response not only in relation to visitor sites but also the Department's approach regarding general monuments when I reply to a later question.