Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is often the case that infringements on protected structures take place at the weekend, when there is nobody available or no way of chasing it up. Irreparable damage can be done overnight. I am sure the same also applies in respect of monuments. It is important that if notice is served or the Department is notified of a suspicion that unlicensed work affecting a monument or other structure is being carried out, it can react in a timely manner.

I note the Minister can be asked to take a monument into guardianship. Does it then fall to the OPW to manage that? Am I reading that correctly? It is the commissioner, is it? Yes.

I think I am getting confused. Where a natural heritage area or a candidate special area of conservation is proposed, many of the protection provisions kick in at that candidate stage. Will that apply in the case of a site being proposed as a monument or when an assessment is being carried out? Do those protections kick in when a proposal is made or when a site is selected as a candidate? Is that even a provision of the Bill?