Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and congratulate him again on his role as having responsibility for heritage. I concur with Senator Garvey that he has brought great energy and enthusiasm and insight to the area of heritage which is what we need. We have a very rich heritage, built and natural, and I have full confidence that he as Minister of State in the Department will really champion heritage over the course of the Government.

The Fianna Fáil group will support the Bill. It provides for the transfer of functions to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and it empowers the Department and the Ministers in it to champion our heritage. It also provides for the transfer of consultation and consent functions under the Broadcasting Act 2009 to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin. It amends no fewer than five Acts, the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations 2011 and the Broadcasting Act 2009. It also makes provision in relation to certain planning matters relating to heritage which are also important. This is important housekeeping work. It also provides for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to be notified of proposed variations to planning authority development plans and the making of such variations. Here in Dublin city, councillors are in the process of making a new city development plan. The city and county development plans are hugely important documents that give local communities and individuals an opportunity to engage in setting the strategic planning objectives, not only for their communities but also their counties and cities. It is important that we take care of these matters from a legislative perspective.

The programme for Government sets out very important commitments in terms of our natural heritage, including the publishing and implementation of a new all Government heritage policy and its nationwide implementation, a commitment to explore multiannual funding models and ensure that adequate funding is made available for the implementation of each county heritage plan, promoting biodiversity initiatives across primary, post-primary and third level sectors and ensuring that every school, college and university across the country will play an active role in providing areas to promote biodiversity. It is apt that we are having this debate this week. Last week was national biodiversity week. I live in the city but even in the city we have very rich biodiversity, everything from our pigeons to the flies and ants and wild flowers. It is really important, and perhaps Covid has made us more aware of our natural environment and surroundings. We all need to act to protect our biodiversity. From a Government perspective, it is important this legislation is progressed promptly.

While the Minister of State is in the House, I want to mention something. The built heritage in the city is very important and I want to thank him for the support he has lent to the regeneration and rejuvenation of what had become very derelict heritage in the heart of the inner city with the national monument buildings in 14 to 17 Moore Street. The Minister of State's commitment has made a huge difference in not only ensuring the dereliction that has taken hold there on the street market and the national monument will not only be stopped but will be reversed and we will have a State-led rejuvenation of the street market and a national monument where our history will be recreated, reimagined and preserved and made available to future generations. I thank him for the support he has lent the Moore Street advisory group, with stakeholders from the 1916 relatives, the street traders and all the businesses in the area. They appreciate the fact that he has given it priority and will lead a State-led regeneration of the street market and the creation of a 1916 commemorative centre there.I commend the Minister of State on that. I wish him well with it and commit to our continued support.