Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The national heritage plan 2002-07 was the first integrated plan that sought to conserve and protect all aspects of our national heritage. Over the course of more recent years, my Department’s responsibilities for the protection and promotion of our built and natural heritage have been met by a range of policy developments that sought to respond to the challenges arising in different sectoral areas within my heritage remit. A Programme for a Partnership Government envisages the development and publication of an updated national heritage plan. I am currently considering how best to approach its development in the context of ongoing policy priorities across the heritage sector, both built and natural. I intend to deploy a framework similar to the one used successfully in the context of Culture 2025 and my officials are working on developing that approach.

Work has been initiated by my Department regarding the scope and terms of reference for the process. As the Deputy will be aware, the heritage sector is composed of many different sub-sectors with differing needs. It is intended that a formal engagement with key stakeholders and implementation partners will play a central role in the development of such a policy, given the many strands of our national heritage.

In the context of the foregoing, my Department is drafting Ireland’s third national biodiversity action plan 2017-21. The plan is being developed in co-operation with an interdepartmental biodiversity working group and the Biodiversity Forum, which represents various interested sectors of society. I invited the views of the public on the draft plan on 21 December 2016 and the consultation window closed on 9 February 2017. Some 90 submissions were received and these will be published on the Department’s website, with a summary of the views provided and with comment on the main strands of the submissions made.

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