Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

It is obvious Senator Bannon has a deep interest in and an extensive knowledge of the subject. There is much to be said for compiling an inventory of all the national monuments. I presume that is being done or has been done and, as such, I am not sure it is necessary to include the register in legislation. It is something that should be done because I recall when the then Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Deputy de Valera, brought in the legislation dealing with historical heritage, a particular onus was placed on local authorities to draw up the list. It created much interest and focused people's minds because often there were national treasures in a community that were overlooked and in many cases they were destroyed. I mentioned some of these on Second Stage, such as the P.J. McCall house in Wexford and the Eamon de Valera cottage in the Nore Valley and there were several others. I have no doubt it would be much more difficult for that to happen now.

In recent years we have heard of national monuments being interfered with and destroyed. Sometimes there is a suggestion that landowners were not necessarily aware of the importance or status of those monuments. I am not taking their side and I am not saying that is a good excuse, but it is necessary to highlight them. One way of doing this is to ask the local authorities to do an inventory. It is not all about buildings. There are many other aspects of heritage that do not stand out and yet require attention.

I understand the point being made by Senator Bannon and the issue should be taken on board. In the final analysis we are all responsible. It is not just a matter of enshrining it in legislation. It is not only a matter for Government or the appropriate Department; it is one for all of us. The more we can bring different agencies and individuals on board and empower them to do this work, the better.