Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman; apologies for being delayed. I welcome everyone, particularly Ms Virginia Teehan. Heritage Council representatives have appeared before us very rarely; there have been three outings. The council really is punching way above its weight and rightly so. I love the line in Ms Teehan's opening statement: "The Heritage Council remit is very broad." She is dead on. It is good to see that.

I will address the Heritage Council first. Ms Teehan talked about the importance of co-ordinating the Irish Walled Towns Network and working with local authorities, which I welcome. Not today, perhaps, but she might keep the committee abreast of that initiative because it is excellent.

She raised the issue of the Irish National Strategic Archaeological Research, INSTAR+, programme. It is a very significant body about which I knew nothing and, therefore, I got my phone out and googled INSTAR+. I learned very quickly that its remit is cultural identity, territories and boundaries, resources, technology and craft, exchange and trade, religion and ritual, environment and climate change, landscapes and settlement and archaeology and contemporary society. That was set out in a press statement by the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, who welcomed its establishment at a cost of €2.2 million. Again, it does not have to be today but Ms Teehan might elaborate on that given that she raised it in her submission. The committee would benefit from knowing a bit more about that project in the context of where we are. I will leave it at that in terms of my questions to the council but, again, I am delighted to see its representatives before the committee.

The OPW is an amazing organisation. I know a lot about it and it does amazing things. I live around the corner from Monkstown Castle, which is one of its responsibilities. Everyone thinks the council does a great job and I keep reminding them it is done by the OPW. The OPW sign fell down, however, and no one knows it is that organisation but it is the best kept space around where I live. I want to pass that on to the people who look after Monkstown Sastle in Baile na Manach.

I take on board what Ms Collier said about resources; that is critically important. On page 7 of her submission, under the heading of World Heritage Convention, Ms Collier said: "In discussing world heritage sites, I should perhaps point out that the Commissioners have no formal statutory role in the designation of sites" in the provision of this Bill. What is her view on this? Would she like to have a role? Who would she like to see having a greater role in that regard? One issue is that the OPW has no resources but if it had the resources, would it like to take that on? She raised that in her submission; it is really important.

There is also the issue of Part 10, implementation and enforcement, and this sense of uniformity about penalties. Everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet regarding legislation and the enforcement and implementation of fines. Ms Collier might touch on that.

Finally, the IPI is 100% on the ball. It is an amazing organisation and I compliment Mr. Keaney on the ongoing training and outreach initiatives he does on behalf of the institute. They are particularly good. I have attended many of the conferences and have asked him to keep this committee informed of its programme. It is really interesting and we may take up opportunities to go and participate.

The record of protected structures is a reserved function of the elected members of the 31 local authorities and rightly so, and it is about subsidiarity. They also have local knowledge, however, which is really important. If we want to be stakeholders with these local authority members, we need to work closely with and empower them. That is good.

In the case of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, of which I am a former member and which I know best, it does track and map the monuments on its development plan maps. It has a list; I am not sure if it is a complete one but it endeavours to be. We have many dolmens in the Dublin mountains and very rich marine heritage in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. I am not sure if there is an inconsistency but I am only familiar with that authority and that is a model that works well. Perhaps the idea that Mr. Keaney suggested is one we might take on board because it makes sense.

There is a very famous Supreme Court judgment in respect of county development plans, which in simple terms states that it is a contract with the people and citizens. It is about their expectation for the proper planning and sustainable development of their area. I will leave it there. They are really more general comments but the witnesses may have particular responses in the last two minutes.