merrion street

Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, today launched the public consultation process on the new heritage plan for Ireland, Heritage Ireland 2030, a key commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government.

Minister Madigan said:

I am delighted to announce the launch of the public consultation on Heritage Ireland 2030 - an ambitious new national heritage plan for Ireland. The natural and built heritage around us enriches our lives, inspires our achievements and gives life to our communities. It underpins our culture, our economy and our society.

Our vision for heritage is a simple one - that heritage is valued and protected. Heritage Ireland 2030 will be built around that vision: that the way in which we identify and protect our heritage is the best it can be.

Heritage Ireland 2030 – which will be based around three themes of national leadership; supporting stronger heritage partnerships; and building community and local involvement in heritage – will guide the Government’s heritage priorities and investment over the next decade and beyond, including the €285m commitment to heritage in the Department’s 10 year investment plan Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027, which was launched in April 2018.

At the launch event in the Irish Architectural Archive in Merrion Square, Minister Madigan urged all to have their say in shaping heritage priorities for the decade to come:

Our heritage is a shared responsibility and a shared treasure. We need to work together at national, local and community level to care for it and to unlock its future potential. So I invite you to play your part in shaping the future of our heritage and have your say during this consultation period.

Editors Note:

Further details, including the consultation document available at www.chg.gov.ie/heritage/heritageireland2030

• The purpose of the event in the Irish Architectural Archive is to announce the commencement of a public consultation process on a new national heritage plan - Heritage Ireland 2030 - which will set out the high-level aims and policies of the Government in this area for the period up until 2030.
• The last National Heritage Plan was published in 2002 and a Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to develop and publish an updated National Heritage Plan.
• Over recent months a departmental steering group has engaged with key stakeholders to help draft a broad outline of a plan which is now going to public consultation seeking the views of all.
• The new heritage plan will be based around three themes:
• 1. National Leadership and Heritage (policy and regulatory framework)
• 2. Heritage Partnerships (at all levels – NGOs, Local Authorities, Businesses)
• 3. Communities and Heritage (public engagement and support for communities)
• A series of draft objectives under each Theme has been detailed in the consultation document. The Department is now inviting views on these to help shape those objectives and the strategy. An Action Plan will be drawn up under each Theme. Over the lifetime of the Plan regular review of objectives will be important and details of that review and the implementation and delivery stage are detailed in this document.
• The intention now is to start a wide-scale and sustained public consultation process with all relevant stakeholders. 
• This public consultation process will include digital and social media and a series of regional workshops over coming months, arranged in collaboration with key heritage partners culminating after February 2019 with a national heritage forum in Dublin which will lead to the completion of drafting of the new Heritage Plan.
• Invitees to the launch event include a wide range of stakeholders and partners, covering all aspects of the build and natural heritage space. All those organisations with whom the Department engaged over recent months in helping form the broad themes and objectives outlined in the Consultation document have been invited.