Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Heritage Council Strategy 2018-2022: Discussion

1:30 pm

Mr. Michael Starrett:

I will not answer all the questions. I will choose the easy one. I will answer the question about making people connect. The Chairman got it right in many ways when he said heritage is part of what we are. Whether someone is in Ballybough or Inishowen, that is the place where they live, that is their environment and surroundings. That is their contemporary heritage. We have many inner city initiatives, working with people through educational services, to improve the quality of those places. Heritage is not always the answer but education and the connection with people is where we make that connection. It is all very well to have a huge capital investment in big projects but what we really need to invest in is people who can go out, communicate, encourage and support. Governments will have to wrestle with that issue.

Dr. Marie Bourke is a great fighter. I should refer the question on how do we fight for heritage to her because she has been fighting for heritage in Ireland much longer than I have.

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