Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 678: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps his Department has taken to ensure that the Rock of Cashel is nominated for world heritage status; the action that needs to be taken to secure this nomination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6232/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Ireland ratified the World Heritage Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage in 1991. Nominations to the World Heritage List are considered only if a nominated property has been included on the State Party's tentative list i.e. an inventory of those cultural and natural heritage properties considered to be of outstanding and unique value. There are eight sites on the current tentative list, including Cashel, which can be considered for nomination. Two sites from this list have been successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List namely Brú na Bóinne, in 1993, and Skellig Michael, in 1996.

The World Heritage Committee, the main body with responsibility for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, has developed guidance for the inscription of properties on the World Heritage List, as set out in Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention on UNESCO's website. The application process typically involves the preparation of a detailed Management Plan, appropriate planning controls / restrictions in the vicinity of the site, extensive stakeholder consultation, a conservation plan and an expert comparative analysis setting out the Outstanding Universal Value of the site.

The World Heritage Committee recommends that tentative lists be reviewed every ten years. In view of this it is my intention to review the existing tentative list this year. The preparation of applications for the remaining sites on the current list, including Cashel, and for any new additions to the list, will be considered in the context of that review.