Mr. Brian Keaney:

With regard to the views of the Irish Planning Institute on the relationship between the Act and the impact on housing delivery, as part of any plan-making exercise we consult widely with various Departments. We have referred to the various registers of monuments. This information is collated. We did that in Clonburris, to which Deputy Higgins referred. At a very simple level when it comes to planning or designing an area we use any existing heritage, for example hedgerows, ring forts or subsurface archaeology, to help shape the form of the urban layout. If we are aware of an archaeological monument or subsurface archaeology in a large urban extension such as Clonburris they are the areas we designate as open spaces to try to protect them from intensive development.

More broadly, all zones of archaeology are lines on maps but in reality the archaeology could extend beyond the boundaries as marked on maps. As development occurs there are often requirements in planning applications based on advice from the archaeological services whereby we monitor the works. If anything is uncovered through construction it is investigated and recorded. These are the protections. The role of the planning system in the relationship between development of not only housing but all development and archaeology is to raise awareness for landowners and the development sector.

As we touched on earlier, one of the important elements of the planning system is the input of subsidiarity and the input of local communities and councillors, and Deputies and Senators, into the plan making process. It is to raise awareness. Something that strikes me working in local government is the value that local communities bring to the process. Often there is a lot of local knowledge that may not necessarily be known in the executive of a local authority because those working in it tend to come from various parts of the country. This local knowledge is invaluable and it is important to have this input.

With regard to head 20, we raised it with regard to the issue of dangerous buildings legislation. We often have a situation in which an historic property is flagged and ends up on a record as a dangerous building. The implication, therefore, is that the building or structure must be removed. On this particular issue, the general scheme states that the Minister must be consulted. We believe this should be strengthened. The Minister should have the power to prohibit the demolition of a national monument because of its designation of national importance. The wording should be tightened up to give the Minister greater power on this. To make a plug for the institute and our conference on 7 and 8 April in Kilkenny, we welcome engagement with elected members at all levels. We extend the invitation to the committee.