Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht ar an mBille seo, Bille na hOidhreachta, Stairiúla agus Seandálaíochta 2023, atá os ár gcomhair. I find myself in the somewhat unusual position of agreeing with a Green Party Minister. That is particularly the case having reviewed what the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, said about the Bill in the Seanad.

During the Minister of State's contribution, it was noted clearly that:

Irish heritage is the foundation stone of our society... At a national level, it is a source of great pride and confers on us a sense of togetherness. In many ways, our heritage unites us and helps foster a sense of an Irish kinship. At a local level [the Minister of State noted], perhaps the most important level of all, our heritage has created and maintained entire communities and it can provide individuals with a powerful feeling of belonging.

Who could disagree with any of that? I certainly do not.

I have concerns, however, that other Government priorities may clash with the noble desire of protecting our built archaeological heritage. I made this clear in a speech some time ago, as did many other people in my constituency who joined together to make 2,500 submissions to Offaly County Council as part of the public consultation process on the draft Offaly county development plan. We were seeking to remove Lemanaghan bog, near Ballycumber, County Offaly, as an area open to consideration for wind energy. This followed plans by Bord na Móna to construct a major wind farm project there and people were horrified, shocked and totally opposed to the idea. The submission I made on this matter was co-signed by my colleague, Deputy Mattie McGrath, and I thank him for his help with the submission. It was clear from the outset that there was an overwhelming level of public opposition to any proposed wind farm, especially given the heightened archaeological and historical value attached to the Lemanaghan bog site. It demonstrated the depth of the Offaly public's commitment to preserving our rich local history. Lemanaghan bog is quite unique because it is rich in monastic history, which should be preserved and I was privileged to attend the launch of a book on St. Manchan's Shrine, which is associated with this area. It seems to be reckless for Bord na Móna or any such company to try to get planning to put a wind farm in that area and I hope that sense will prevail on this issue.

I sincerely hope that, given the scale of the opposition, Lemanaghan bog will be removed from the relevant zoning category and that it will be preserved for the benefit of generations to come. I know there are many good things happening our there and there are many tours to Lemanaghan bog. We have many researchers and we have had archaeologists out to the site as well, so it is a site that is worthy of preservation. These sites should be respected and they are of immense national value. I would urge all concerned to give support to this and to make sure Lemanaghan bog is preserved and protected. No wind farm could possibly compensate for the archaeological damage that would be incurred if the proposal were to go ahead. It would be tantamount to cultural and historical vandalism for that to happen and that is why any attempt to put a wind farm on an area that is rich in monastic history should be opposed and resisted.

See this speech in context