Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the delay in publishing a draft national landscape strategy for public consultation; the person in his Department who is preparing the NLS; the qualifications these staff have in landscape architecture, landscape management and landscape planning; the timetable he is working to, in preparing the NLS; when he will publish the final document; the further reason Ireland has not been represented consistently at the Council of Europe's series of conferences, workshops and seminars on the European Landscape Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21971/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department has established a Steering Group comprised of all key stakeholders to develop and progress a National Landscape Strategy (NLS). The aim of the (NLS) is to establish principles and provide the framework for promoting sustainable development, protecting and enhancing the landscape and positively managing its change as well as providing the context within which the design of appropriate development can take place.

The nature and content of the framework will be informed in the first instance by the Tara/Skryne Pilot Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) now underway. The pilot is being overseen by a Steering Group, chaired by Dr. Loreto Guinan, the Meath County Heritage Officer, and comprising representatives of the local authority, the Heritage Council and my Department. The project is also being part-funded by my Department and the Heritage Council.

The NLS will also be informed by the work of the Historic Landscape subgroup of the Expert Advisory Group which I established to review archaeological policy and practice in Ireland; this subgroup is chaired by Dr. Conor Newman.

Work on a draft National Landscape Strategy will be progressed over the coming months; it is not possible at this time to provide a date for publication of the final document.

Attendance by my Department at conferences, workshops and seminars is considered on a case by case basis.