Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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237. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government Heritage when the National Landscape Strategy 2015-2025 (action No. 3) guidelines are to be published for local landscape character assessments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60632/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Under Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan, there is an action to advance the implementation of the National Landscape Strategy and complete a National Landscape Character Assessment.

My Department is undertaking a workforce planning exercise currently and a proposal has been submitted for increased staffing resources to deliver this strategy and related priorities. It should be noted that this exercise encompasses the whole Department and that the exact numbers and assignment of staff has yet to be finalised. 

It is important to note that the National Landscape Strategy transcends heritage. In this connection it is also worth noting the ongoing work led by the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out pilot landscape character assessments and conduct a literature review to inform the development of a Landscape Character Assessment Toolkit for use by local authorities.