Wallace questions Environmental Minister John Gormley regarding impact on local community of his Departments decisions and plans 

As part of the ongoing concern regarding the impact on local families of decisions by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Meath East TD Mary Wallace has raised the question in the Dail of the future plans of the Department regarding World Heritage Site designation and in particular the advantages and disadvantages to the local community. The Deputy received the following reply from Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Mr John Gormley.

Ireland has two properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List at present, namely, the Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne (Brú na Bóinne) in County Meath (inscribed in 1993) and Skellig Michael in County Kerry (inscribed in 1996). 

Brú na Boinne attracts on average 230,400 visitors each year to the World Heritage property and creates employment for 27 fulltime staff and 20 seasonal staff at the Visitor Centre, which remains open all year round and is managed by the Office of Public Works. The majority of the staff employed at the Visitor Centre are local to the area. 

The visitor season at Skellig Michael runs from the end of May to September, weather permitting, and the island attracts an average of 11,000 visitors each year. These visitors are conveyed to the island by fourteen local boat operators from Knightstown, Portmagee, Ballinskelligs and Caherdaniel.  There are five guides employed on the island by the Office of Public Works during the visitor season.  

Ireland has an international obligation to protect, conserve and present its World Heritage properties. This implies a strong conservation commitment around the properties and greater international and national attention to what happens there. 

The new Tentative List of potential nominees to the World Heritage List was announced in April 2010 and comprises those properties considered of outstanding universal value, to meet the UNESCO World Heritage inscription criteria in terms of integrity and authenticity and which have the best potential for future inscription on the World Heritage List. The properties on the list are:

· the Burren;

· the Céide Fields & North West Mayo Boglands;

· the Monastic City of Clonmacnoise and its Cultural Landscape;

· the Historic City of Dublin;

· the Early Medieval Monastic Sites (Clonmacnoise, Durrow, Glendalough, Inis Cealtra, Kells & Monasterboice);

· the Royal Sites of Ireland (Cashel, Dún Ailinne, Hill of Uisneach,  Rathcroghan Complex &Tara Complex); and

· the Western Stone Forts.

World Heritage inscription brings increased international awareness of the outstanding universal value of the inscribed property and a potential increase in tourist activity around the property and the area. 

The proposed nomination of any property on the new Tentative List to the World Heritage List will require the preparation of comprehensive nomination documentation including a management plan for the property. Consultation will take place with the relevant stakeholders including local communities in the preparation of the documentation for future nominations. 

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