Mr. Seán Carpenter:

I will speak about the landscapes and Part 3. Deputy O'Callaghan pointed out that the UNESCO convention deals with cultural and natural heritage. There has been no need for implementing legislation since the convention was ratified because the existing legislative framework provided for what is required under the convention regarding cultural heritage by and large. We are now looking to define the term "world heritage property". I suppose the Minister would be the competent authority to get things like the tentative lists and get sites prescribed on the world heritage list.

Regarding landscapes and natural heritage, one of the reasons we designate something as monument is to conserve and protect it. I believe section 204 of the Planning and Development Act empowers local authorities to issue landscape conservation orders, which are put in place to protect and conserve landscapes. Therefore, we have existing legislation that gives effect to the convention. Accordingly, Part 3 just deals with the cultural heritage aspects of the convention.