New strategy for the protection of Laois Heritage 

The Government says it has approved Heritage Ireland 2030, a cross-Government Strategic Policy for Heritage that sets out a framework for the protection, conservation, promotion and management of Ireland’s heritage for the next decade and beyond.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage says t he Strategy lays out a roadmap for the best possible future for Irish heritage with a joined up approach at government, stakeholder and community levels. It adds that a comprehensive implementation plan is now being developed to deliver on its actions.

A statement said Laois County Council is tasked with the care and management of heritage assets in their ownership such as monuments, protected structures, county archives, museum collections, heritage gardens and parks. The Department says the Heritage Ireland 2030 will aim to strengthen the role of Laois County Council in the management, care and promotion of Ireland’s heritage and establish policies to underpin their work as custodians of many heritage resources. 

A statement said  principal themes of the strategy are communities, leadership and partnerships, reflecting the importance of ongoing collaboration between government, communities, stakeholders, citizens and local authorities in delivering upon the objectives of this strategy.

The idea is that the proposed framework set out structures through which all of these groups can come together to advance the protection of Ireland’s heritage. Recognising that responsibilities for Ireland’s heritage rest right across government, this structured framework will also enable the integration of heritage policy principles into decision-making across the whole of government.

Heritage Ireland 2030 contains over 150 actions, each of which will be built upon and delivered within working groups. An Implementation Plan assigning actions and timeframes to responsible parties will be developed within six months of the launch of Heritage Ireland 2030, elaborating on the formation of delivery structures and providing a clear roadmap for implementing actions. 

Launching Heritage Ireland 2030, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said:

“Government has today approved a plan that represents a major step forward for structured engagement around heritage.  The actions in this strategy reflect the huge challenges facing Ireland’s heritage, particularly for nature and biodiversity loss. We have ambitious programmes underway in the area of peatland rehabilitation and nature recovery and the framework set out in this strategy, along with the structured delivery model, will bring cohesion to our efforts, including consultation with the Northern Ireland Executive on areas we might approach on an all-island basis.

“We were heartened over the past two years to see people access our national parks, monuments, nature reserves and historic properties during public health restrictions, and know that this has strengthened people’s appreciation of our heritage. It is more important than ever that our heritage is protected, conserved and restored to ensure that the people of Ireland continue to benefit from the value and well-being that it provides,” he said.

A copy of the Strategy can be accessed here.