James Bannon (Fine Gael)

To be a little parochial, 12 years ago the local authority of which I was a member set about compiling a record of protected structures in our county. We invited submissions from bodies interested in folklore and history and most councillors made a submission on their respective areas having consulted with elderly people and others about monuments of note. It is all part of our heritage and culture. We are losing the names of fields and features of our countryside from bygone days and it is a great pity. With the information received we were able to control developments which took place in close proximity to monuments of importance. We were credited with that. With the register in place, we were able to monitor from time to time the monuments listed and consider how to protect them. We were always able to identify areas of neglect and prevent vandalism. A significant number of monuments have been vandalised over the years particularly a decade ago when it was not uncommon for them to be attacked, abused and broken. We saw evidence of that in several parts of the midlands ten to 20 years ago. We had to do something and took advantage of an opportunity afforded to us to compile a register.

Is there a policy within the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to issue declarations as to the type of works deemed to affect the character of a protected structure? Is planning permission required to carry out alterations to a pre-1700 structure? Buildings are being interfered with. We have seen slatted units and silage pits located against the sides of castles. One need only drive from Portlaoise to Cork to see evidence of fine castles in fields with undesirable structures incorporating their walls into silage pits etc. I am a farmer myself and I am aware that people have destroyed some of our monuments by permitting over-development in close proximity to them.

If the Minister of State is not prepared to accept this amendment, will he co-operate with me in establishing a pilot scheme in County Longford where we have already done a certain amount of work in this area? I can speak for the local authority which would co-operate fully with the Minister of State in drawing up a register of monuments. It would not cost a great deal of money as it is a small county with an enthusiastic population of approximately 31,000.

We have a rich heritage and monuments of which we are proud. I feel passionate about ensuring something is done to protect these monuments for our own and future generations. Major emphasis has been placed over the past ten years on our tourism potential. Irrespective of where we go in the world, we hear people talk about our rich cultural heritage and the fine reservoir of monuments we have from the past which should be protected. The Minister of State is at one with me on this and perhaps he would consider initiating a pilot scheme in a small midland county.