Dr. Martina Moloney:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to present before it on my nomination by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, as chair designate of the Heritage Council. I was appointed as an ordinary member of the council through the Public Appointments Service process on 2 November 2020.

I am privileged to have been selected as chair designate and I confirm my commitment to this important role.

I was a career official in Irish local government for 37 years, with more than 20 years in senior management roles. I was county manager in Louth County Council for four years and county manager in Galway County Council for seven years until my retirement in 2014. This role covered a vast array of activities to advance the economic, social and cultural development of the counties involved. I hold a BA and an MA in public management and a doctorate in governance. I am an experienced non-executive director of several State agencies, charities and companies limited by guarantee. I currently sit on the boards of the Arts Council, the Heritage Council and Jigsaw, the youth mental health organisation. I have previously been a member of the boards of Eirgrid, the National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, and the Galway International Arts Festival. I am familiar with the code of practice for the governance of State bodies and the charities governance code, including the role of chairperson, council members' code of conduct and ethics in public office. I have served on audit and risk committees and committees dealing with finance and governance.

I am passionate about the valuable contribution of heritage to society. I have engaged with heritage in both professional and personal capacities over many years. I served as a member of the board of the Heritage Council from 2005 to 2010 and again for the last year. Through my career in local government, I interacted with the heritage sector. I was instrumental in negotiating the employment of the first heritage officer in Galway City Council in association with the Heritage Council. As county manager, I oversaw the development and delivery of heritage services in counties Louth and Galway. I engaged with many dedicated community volunteers who work tirelessly to protect and celebrate their local heritage. I served as chair of the Irish Walled Towns Network for four years from 2017 to 2019 and as treasurer of the BurrenBeo Trust, a landscape charity from 2016 to September 2021.

The Heritage Council is charged with an important role under the Heritage Act 1995, including promoting policies and priorities for the identification, protection, preservation and enhancement of the national heritage and promoting interest, education, knowledge and pride in heritage as well as facilitating the appreciation and enjoyment of heritage. In my role as chair, my responsibility, working with the members of the council, its CEO Ms Virginia Teehan and her team, will be to deliver effectively on this mandate.

My vision for heritage is derived from a community perspective, building on people's connection to place, where heritage in all its forms is appreciated, conserved and protected. My priority is to work with the Heritage Council and its executive in the preparation of the council’s new strategic plan for 2022 to 2027. This will build on the work of the existing plan, Heritage at the Heart, which was successfully delivered by the former chairman, Mr. Michael Parsons, the council members and the executive. The preparation of a new strategy is a great opportunity to identify our shared vision for the Heritage Council. Priority areas of focus will include challenges for heritage arising from climate change, biodiversity and the role of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, heritage in a post-pandemic Ireland, support for community heritage initiatives, heritage and education, heritage 2030, complex heritage challenges facing towns, villages and rural communities and retrofitting historic buildings and associated building skills shortages.

The Heritage Council is a relatively small organisation with a broad mandate. Consequently, effective partnerships with key stakeholders are essential to success. These include, in particular, partnerships with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, together with a range of other Departments, State agencies and Heritage Council-funded bodies. Such collaborative working, in which I have extensive experience, helps to ensure best practice and best value for the people of Ireland.

I thank the Chairman and committee members for their attention and, together with the CEO, will try to respond to any questions they may have.