Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

These amendments introduce two key changes to terminology used in the Bill with respect to UNESCO world heritage properties. As currently drafted, section 48(3) defines a UNESCO site as a site which has been inscribed on the world heritage list by the world heritage committee. As there are a range of different UNESCO cultural conventions, covering areas such as world heritage, underwater cultural heritage, cultural institutions and protected monuments, the use of the term “UNESCO site” only in the context of world heritage could be confusing. Many sites could be considered UNESCO sites and only a subset of these would be specific world heritage properties. As a result, amendments Nos. 405, 406, 415 and 416 will remove the term “UNESCO site” and replace it with “World Heritage Property”. They will also insert the phrase “World Heritage candidate site’” to include those sites that have been submitted by the State to the UNESCO world heritage committee and which await consideration of their proposed inscription on the world heritage list.

Corresponding amendments are also proposed section 48(2), to include world heritage property and candidate sites to the list of objectives for strategies prepared by planning authorities for the conservation, protection, management and improvement of the natural and built heritage in their functional areas.