Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on whether the abolition of Dúchas and the adoption of its duties by his Department have been a success; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11029/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Dúchas was the title and brand name used by that division of the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands which had responsibility for the State's built and natural heritage functions. Following changes in the functions of Government Departments in June 2002, my Department consulted with relevant stakeholders and examined arrangements for the discharge of the heritage function in other administrations to assist in identifying the most appropriate organisational arrangements for these functions in Ireland. In the light of the outcome of this process as set out in the report of the review of organisational arrangements in relation to the built and natural environment, the Government in April 2003 finalised arrangements in relation to heritage administration. My Department was given responsibility for policy and legislation in respect of the built heritage and for both policy, legislation and operational matters relating to the natural heritage. The Office of Public Works was assigned responsibility for operational and management functions in relation to the built heritage. The Dúchas brand was discontinued and my Department was re-titled as the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

These organisational arrangements were designed to achieve the optimum use of the organisational resources available to the Government. They build on my Department's strengths in terms of experience of regulation and policy development, particularly in the environmental area, and the strong tradition of the Office of Public Works in the areas of conservation and property management of the State's property portfolio. The new arrangements have also created better integration and synergy between nature conservation and environmental protection policies and resources; and between arrangements for built heritage conservation and spatial planning. The relevant divisions in my Department have been reorganised on this basis. My Department is fully engaged with its new responsibilities in relation to heritage and I am confident that its commitment in this regard will be maintained.