Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1018. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applications received requesting to be included on the 2010 tentative list for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the number which were unsuccessful; the reasons for same; the number of these applications which were made by public bodies and private bodies, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24285/19]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1019. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department encourages previously unsuccessful applications to the 2010 tentative list for nomination as UNESCO World Heritage Sites to reapply for inclusion in the 2020 tentative list; the position regarding the sites currently on the 2010 tentative list, if they will be transferred to the new 2020 tentative list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24286/19]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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1020. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department encourages owners of individual buildings that have been demonstrated to possess outstanding universal value, one of the central ideals underpinning the World Heritage Convention, to apply for inclusion on the upcoming 2020 tentative list for nomination as UNESCO World Heritage Sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24287/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1018 to 1020, inclusive, together.

In January last, my Department advertised publicly, including through social media, for official bodies and individuals to apply to the Department to have suitable sites considered for inclusion in the 2020 UNESCO World Heritage list. Applications must be advanced in close cooperation with the relevant local authorities which are expected to take the lead with respect to potential World Heritage nominations in their administrative areas. This ensures the longterm involvement of a statutory body in preparing a site for inclusion on the Tentative List. Officials of my Department are also available to assist and advise interested parties.

The process of readying a site for eventual UNESCO World Heritage nomination encompasses the involvement of the community at large and a wide range of stakeholders. Of critical importance when deciding whether a site should be included on the Tentative List is whether it is capable of demonstrating Outstanding Universal Value. This means that the site must possess cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of global importance for present and future generations. As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international community as a whole. This characteristic would be rigorously assessed by an expert committee for any site under consideration for the Tentative List.

Twenty-two candidate sites were put forward for inclusion on the 2010 Tentative List with the majority coming from public bodies. In addition to the newly-nominated sites that were included in the 2010 List, certain other sites had their position on the previous Tentative List renewed. Others were not considered at that time to have demonstrated that they would meet the various criteria set by the World Heritage Committee. I will provide the Deputy with details of the 22 sites separately.

My Department is currently in the process of managing the ten-year review of Ireland’s Tentative List. In this respect, the local authorities associated with each site on the current Tentative List have been invited to review the readiness of their communities and sites to proceed to World Heritage nomination. My Department is tasked with deciding whether or not sites are likely to meet the criteria for World Heritage nomination. It will do so at the end of the review period in June 2020, and with the benefit of additional information provided by the relevant local authorities in the meantime.