Ms Virginia Teehan:

The Deputy, nonetheless, raises a very relevant and important point around religious heritage because for many centuries in Ireland, the only agency for commissioning artwork, in particular, were the churches, which had funding. Many of our finest craft and art workers have their work and legacies represented in churches, church buildings and places of worship across the country. These now, for a variety of reasons, are no longer used as churches. I, certainly, and the Heritage Council are aware of this area and of a need to address the long-term protection of some of these important works.

There is a very good example of practice in Nano Nagle Place in Cork where a religious foundation of the Presentation Sisters - indeed the original site where Nano Nagle set up her first convent in a very poor part in the centre of Cork city at the end of the 18th century - has been brought back into use with both an interpretative centre, a social housing use, and a very popular and attractive shop and café. This was a very imaginative use by this religious order of a site that is important to it and is important in the centre of and a part of the city that may not be wealthy. These are answers which need to be delivered upon and it is something that is important.

More generally then, around Deputy Ó Snodaigh’s other issues on how this Bill can support that, I believe that these are broader heritage issues. Heritage protection in its own right, has been a case of where at times in Ireland, particularly outside big key heritage sites like the ones that perhaps our colleagues in the OPW manage, are seen exclusively for their commercial and tourism potential. We in the Heritage Council have discovered that their value to the communities is in the sites themselves. Their pure heritage value matters a great deal. They are part of the life of a place. Where one sees a scheme such as one to adopt a monument, we have great examples - I believe, Deputy Higgins, was talking about Clondalkin - all across the country of places that are important to people.

Money needs to go to protecting that sense of importance of the place, not for commercial gain but because they are important for citizens. We also need additional support for education on heritage and its value to us as a society.