Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

On taking office the Government committed itself to a vigorous programme of environmental protection and renewal. It was appropriate that my Department was given responsibility for all the natural and built environment, in addition to its existing environmental protection remit, given the new focus on environmental sustainability.

My Department has made significant progress on enhancing the protection of our built and natural heritage. Under the national inventory of architectural heritage, 21 interim town surveys and eight county surveys have been completed and published and four or five more will be published this year.

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