Chris Andrews (Dublin South East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government last week published Ireland's draft new tentative list of potential nominees to the world heritage list. I am delighted that "Dublin - A Georgian City and its Literary Tradition", was included on this draft list. Since I was elected in 2007, I have sought for Georgian Dublin to be nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site. This is a good news story and there is great credit due to the Minister, whose commitment to this proposal I welcome.

Georgian Dublin is of huge cultural significance to Ireland and deserves to be protected and promoted as an historic and beautiful part of our country's history. As has been highlighted in the draft list, the establishment of the wide streets commissioners, Europe's first official town planning authority, was visionary for its time and was later copied in other cities. Furthermore, 18th century Dublin witnessed one of its most exuberant bursts of architectural development with the proliferation of fine municipal buildings, grandiose squares and wide, elegant streets.

The period from 1714 to 1830 saw the development of the Irish Houses of Parliament, the Four Courts, King's Inns, City Hall, Leinster House, Dublin Castle, the Mansion House and Iveagh House among others. Fine architects such as James Gandon, who designed the White House in Washington D.C., designed the Custom House Building and the Four Courts and left an indelible mark on the character and style of Dublin's built environment. Likewise, the contribution of the city to world literature is far-reaching and exceptional.

Becoming a UNESCO world heritage site would confer international status on Georgian Dublin and would endow it with a level of international protection and preservation. Other cities with Georgian architecture that have received world heritage site status include Bath and Edinburgh. Ireland has only three UNESCO world heritage sites, namely, Newgrange, Skellig Michael and the Giant's Causeway.

This designation would be invaluable for Dublin. It would protect the cultural heritage of the city. It would help to raise architectural and historical awareness and would enhance Dublin's reputation as a tourist destination of world class standard, as has occurred in Edinburgh. I want to put on record my complete support for Georgian Dublin's elevation from the tentative list to nomination for inscription on the world heritage list. This will only take place after consultation with the relevant stakeholders and interested parties, and I believe that the plan is for this to take place through a partnership forum established for each proposed nomination. Can the Minister give more details of this forum for residents who are interested in making an observation on the list?

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