Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 308: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide a map of the proposed area of the Hill of Tara World Heritage Site; the reason he did not conduct a transboundary consultation for the UNESCO nomination since Eamhain Mhacha is one of the royal sites of Ireland; if he will demand that a transboundary environmental impact assessment is performed on the N2 Slane by-pass due to the cross-Border nature of the road and that a world heritage site is at stake; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland and the UK are bound by the ESPOO convention and EU directive; and if he will make a statement on the N3 Slane by-pass's proximity to Brú na Bóinne. [18887/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Tara Complex has been included in Ireland's new Tentative List of potential nominees to the World Heritage List submitted to UNESCO as part of the Royal Sites of Ireland series.

The proposed nomination of the Tara Complex as part of the Royal Sites of Ireland series will require the preparation of comprehensive nomination documentation including a management plan for the property. Consideration of the land area involved will take place at that stage. Consultation with the relevant stakeholders including the local community will be an important part of the process.

A nomination to the World Heritage List takes considerable time to prepare and each property nominated for inclusion on the World Heritage List is subject to evaluation by UNESCO, normally, over an 18 month period.

It is a matter for the United Kingdom authorities to decide whether to include Eamhain Mhacha (Navan Fort - the royal site for the kings of Ulster) in County Armagh in the United Kingdom Tentative List. In this regard, my Department has been in contact with the United Kingdom Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in relation to the possibility of the inclusion of Eamhain Mhacha on the United Kingdom Tentative List. If Eamhain Mhacha is included on this Tentative List then my Department will discuss further the possibility of a transnational Royal Sites of Ireland serial nomination to the World Heritage List with the relevant United Kingdom and Northern Ireland authorities.

Council Directive No. 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, as amended by Council Directive No. 97/11/EC, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Environment Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the 1991 ESPOO Convention) are reflected within various legislative provisions. As regards the preparation and submission of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by a road authority it is a matter for that authority to send a copy of the EIS to the transboundary State concerned, where applicable.

My role as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in relation to development applications is confined to that of statutory consultee under the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, where a proposed development may impact on the natural or built heritage. In the context of my role as statutory consultee within the planning process, Meath County Council notified my Department of its application to An Bord Pleanála for approval in relation to a proposed road development consisting of a bypass of the village of Slane. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared for the proposed N2 Slane bypass road project. A submission was made to An Bord Pleanála by my Department following consideration of the EIS. The consideration of any submissions or observations made and the final decision on this development application is a matter for An Bord Pleanála.

A letter was also sent, on behalf of my Department, to the Director of the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, bringing to his attention the submission of my Department to An Bord Pleanála.