James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Newman and wish him well in his new role as chairperson of the Heritage Council. There has been an interrelationship between people and the landscape since the earliest times and regrettably many monuments, such as ring forts, have been destroyed in some parts of our country. The management of our heritage depends very much on public awareness and education giving people an insight into what should be preserved and how to properly conserve our landscape. Mr. Newman spoke about Heritage Week, which has been a great success and has been running for the past ten years. However, it does not seem to change.

Many artifacts relating to the folklore and so on of areas are stored in damp rooms around the country, particularly in this city. They should be returned to communities so that they could create a greater awareness of their areas. Perhaps this possibility could be considered during Heritage Week, as could the possibility of making available grants to support heritage week.

When I was growing up, there were 26 or 28 thatched houses in my locality. This number has reduced to three because they are expensive to maintain and rethatch. The grant for thatched houses has not increased in line with inflation. It remains at €2,000 plus. This issue needs to be examined as soon as possible. Otherwise, thatched houses will be a thing of the past and will only be seen on postcards, in magazines, etc.

We also need more heritage trails. Walking has become a wonderful pastime for people in recent years. By publishing brochures and selecting built and cultural heritage sites along routes, this sector could be developed.

We need a holistic approach to the development of the River Shannon, which is Ireland's central heritage monument. The River Shannon callows are important to our natural heritage and should be viewed along the same lines as set-asides, in that farmers should be compensated. Their lands are often flooded during the winter and they should receive grant aid to leave them unused. The Heritage Council could work with the Office of Public Works, OPW, on this suggestion.

I wish to discuss an issue that has been raised with me concerning the council's website. I live in a house that is nearly 300 years old.