James Bannon (Fine Gael)

All county development plans contain several pages designated to the conservation and protection of our heritage. All local authorities aspire to integrated and sustainable development, which is something that should be adhered to throughout the country. We should all bear in mind the basic requirements of the population but we cannot compromise our culture and heritage, including national monuments, in doing so. Guiding principles have been set out in our county development plans, which must be adhered to because we have a unique heritage.

Many tourists visit the country every year and, despite the "rip-off Ireland" scenario, we have much to offer them by way of national monuments. Fox Hall in my own parish is not alone unique in Ireland but is also unique in Europe, yet it has been allowed to go to rack and ruin. It lies in the centre of a cemetery and no great interest has been shown in its preservation. Buildings of that nature should be fully protected by this legislation. Wherever possible, we should attempt to mitigate harm to our cultural heritage, including important monuments.

The protection and conservation of our heritage sites, monuments and artefacts is important for future generations. However, this Bill goes no way towards providing for this. Therefore, I await the Minister of State's response to my amendments and hope he takes them on board in the interests of the State as it would bring about a great sense of pride in our great heritage.