Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department is leading a steering group of relevant stakeholders, including the Office of Public Works, Meath County Council, the Heritage Council and the Discovery Programme, to develop a conservation management plan for the State-owned lands at the Hill of Tara. This working group meets regularly and is currently working on a draft of the conservation management plan. The new plan will inform a list of priority conservation and site management actions and measures for the lands that are in State ownership and inform future interventions on the site, aided by the ongoing monitoring of visitor numbers by the OPW.

The online survey was available to the public between 21 March and 15 May and I am pleased to note that it received approximately 400 submissions. It was undertaken for my Department by the Heritage Council and was widely advertised online and through social media by the organisations engaged with the steering group. The survey was designed to identify what members of the public value most about the Hill of Tara, what they perceive as the issues with the site and what they suggest needs to be done to preserve it for the future. The results of the public survey will help to inform the conservation management plan and will, therefore, be a very valuable input. The results will be made available as an appendix to the plan when it is published. The survey responses show clearly that Tara means many things to many people and that the perceptions of the site vary from it being an accessible amenity and recreation area for surrounding communities, to it being a site that attracts many visitors and tourists from around the globe and a place of great heritage significance and symbolism.

When finalised, the conservation management plan will identify conservation priorities for the site and guide future investment decisions in visitor and interpretation facilities that are compatible with its international standing and significance. The plan will address on-site archaeological and natural heritage protection and outline actions to mitigate its vulnerabilities and promote its conservation for future generations.

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