Mr. Ian Doyle:

Ireland has the signed the European landscapes convention, so that is an important dimension to this. Ultimately, we cannot freeze landscape and landscape continues to evolve. We can protect the important elements of a specific monument - we can repoint it, we can cut the grass, we can look after the interpretive signage and so on - but not the immediate area around it or whether it is in alignment on a hilltop. What has worked in some cases is in the context of protected views in county development plans. This has been important. However, that wider setting of protecting monuments internationally is an issue that heritage needs to think more about.