Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans on publishing a national heritage plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11606/17]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Government promised a national heritage plan in A Programme for a Partnership Government. The Minister has promised to publish a national heritage plan on numerous occasions in this House. When does the Minister plan to publish a plan and will she make a statement on the matter?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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A national heritage plan is badly needed by the heritage sector, particularly given the cuts it has suffered since 2011. The Heritage Council funding was cut by almost 90% between 2011 and 2015 and funding cuts to the National Monuments Service have badly hurt that organisation and its ability to conduct its work. While Fianna Fáil welcomes the recent funding that has been announced, funding alone cannot save Ireland's struggling heritage sector. If we want to see our heritage sector thrive, we need to plan for how best to support it. A national heritage plan should listen to the needs and policy goals of the organisations active in the heritage sector and find a meaningful way to address those needs. It should also contain detailed proposals as to the levels and mechanisms through which funding should be provided to heritage projects and centres throughout the country. Doing so will require co-ordination and co-operation between multiple Departments and a vision for the future. The basic purpose of the plan should be to set out clear priorities in the heritage sector for the coming years and make a commitment to achieve these. Will the Minister elaborate further on her vision for co-ordinating that plan?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A lot of good work is ongoing in the heritage division within my Department. At the end of January, I, along with the CEO of the Heritage Council, Michael Starrett, launched the 2017 funding schemes which fund the conservation and protection of heritage buildings. Of course, there were cuts to the Heritage Council but I am glad I have been able to increase funding and then increase it again this year. The Heritage Council does a tremendous amount of good work in terms of working with communities and engaging with their heritage through community projects, and heritage week is extremely successful. A number of heritage projects have been funded throughout the country and these create employment in the conservation and construction industries while at the same time helping to regenerate urban and rural areas.

To give some examples with which the Deputy will be familiar, the restored gate lodge in Castleblayney received €30,000 under the structures at risk fund. This has been completed and the gate lodge has been wonderfully restored and is now in full use. Cavan and Belturbet parish churches and the parochial house in Cootehill are important local projects which have received funding under the built heritage investment scheme. I agree with the Deputy there is a need to take a collaborative approach to developing the heritage plan.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As the Minister knows, the heritage sector makes a huge contribution to Irish life. The Heritage Council has published reports suggesting that for every €1 spent on local heritage projects, tourism is boosted by €4.40. The Golden Mile projects and the heritage offices in many local authority areas are very good at stretching very small funds that make a massive impact in small communities. The heritage sector provides 25,000 full-time jobs, giving a major boost to the Irish economy, and it supports some 40,000 jobs indirectly. It represents 2% of Ireland's employment and these jobs comprise a variety of roles, including those related to maintenance, construction, administration and tourism in our local authorities. Many of these jobs are in rural areas, which are also covered by the Minister's Department, and support the economically disadvantaged.

The bottom line is that I feel very strongly that a coherent plan must be put in place for the heritage sector, which, like our arts offices, can stretch very little funding to make a massive difference in local communities. However, it needs a plan that has vision and that co-ordinates the many other departments within our local authorities.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As I said, 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, both natural and built. We will be working with them very closely and we welcome submissions and ideas from the House, the Oireachtas joint committee and all the different stakeholders.

I agree with the Deputy that heritage is wonderful for local communities. I see great opportunities between the Action Plan for Rural Development and improving the heritage offering in our local communities. Of course, the Deputy is familiar with Bailieborough courthouse. My Department was able to provide €100,000 for the renovation of the courthouse and the old Bridewell jail. There are great opportunities to marry heritage and rural development, and that is the type of innovative project this funding will support. The project is putting Bailieborough courthouse into great use for the future and there are great plans there.