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Ireland's Heritage Sector Decimated by Punitive Cuts - Heritage Council
warns of job losses and tourism setback
Punitive cuts, announced in last Tuesday's Budget,
will decimate the heritage sector and close many small enterprises that
are dependent on it. This will have detrimental effects on both our
national heritage and the quality of our tourism offering, according to
the Heritage Council.
The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government's Heritage
Unit, which has responsibility for protected structures, including world
heritage sites, suffered a 77% budget cut. National Parks and Wildlife,
whose remit includes the protection of our natural heritage and running
all our national parks, suffered a 56% cut. The Heritage Council, whose
role is to protect, preserve and enhance Ireland's national heritage,
suffered a 47% cut. This is on top of a 30% cut in 2010.
Speaking about the situation, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council,
Michael Starrett commented, "We are extremely concerned about the
disproportionate nature of the cuts to the Heritage sector. While the
heritage sector recognises that it must share the burden of the cuts
required to tackle the country's economic crisis, the cuts announced
last Tuesday are completely disproportionate in comparison to other
Departmental cuts. As a result, the future of heritage initiatives
nationwide which have created hundreds of jobs, empowered local
communities and enhanced the value of heritage as a tourism resource,
are severely threatened".
"In 2009, over three million overseas visitors engaged in
cultural/historical visits while in Ireland, and spent an estimated 1.9
billion Euros while here. In particular, 76% of tourists identified
landscape and nature as the primary reason for visiting Ireland, and
heritage is what defines the uniqueness of a country. Funding will now
no longer be available to protect and manage our iconic buildings,
unique and threatened species, landscapes, cultural collections and rare
artifacts, or indeed to support local communities in taking care of
their everyday heritage".
The majority of counties in Ireland have a County Heritage Plan which is
prepared by Local Heritage Fora on behalf of the local people and the
Local Authority. Research conducted in September 2010 by economist Jim
Power examined the economic value of these County Heritage Plans. The
implementation of these plans between 2004 and 2008 at a cost of 6.15m
Euros supported the creation of 1,012 full-time jobs in small businesses
across the regions, with an estimated return of 30.1 million Euros to
the economy. Between 2004 and 2008, the 6.15m Euros that the Heritage
Council invested over 26 local authority areas led to an additional
investment of around 10 million Euros from other sources.
Looking at the economic impact of an event such as the Irish Walled
Towns Day held in Youghal during National Heritage Week, KPMG analysts
found that support of 16,000 Euros to the Irish Walled Towns Network for
the day brought a return of 480,000 Euros in to the local economy.
Our shared heritage is the country's inheritance that we only get to
borrow for a time, enjoy, and benefit enormously from but we have an
obligation as a people to pass it on to future generations, Mr. Starrett
said. These punitive cuts put at risk, not just jobs which are
critically important, but also vulnerable aspects of the nation's unique
natural and cultural heritage which now may be lost for ever to the
country.
"At this point, the day to day implications of the cuts are hard to
fully estimate. What is clear from the Heritage Council's standing is
that we will no longer be in a position to provide support for local
community groups, non-governmental organisations, charities,
individuals, small businesses, local authorities and others. This will
make it extremely difficult for the survival of the wider heritage
profession of conservators, thatchers, ecologists, archaeologists,
conservation architects, museum curators and other specialist work such
as researchers and data collectors.
We cannot talk about the importance of marketing our heritage and
promoting tourism if we cut the funding to those who work tirelessly
behind the scenes to care for our heritage. The reality is that these
unique heritage skills may now be lost to the nation along with the
heritage assets and memory that these represent. We will all be poorer
economically, environmentally and socially as a result", added Mr.
Starrett.
* In 2009 114,000 Euros was offered to 19 building conservation
projects. Each grant required at least as much money again to be
expended on the project (50% match funding). This represents a minimum
two-times multiplier for the spend from the public purse. These grants
resulted in the direct employment of at least 5 people per year.
* In 2010 a total of 600,000 Euros was spent on conservation works
to significant churches and cathedrals of all denominations. This single
scheme created direct employment for 16 people.
* Conservation works to our historic walled town defences (such as
in Kilkenny, Cashel, Drogheda, Dublin city, Wexford) will be scaled back
with the loss of 25 contracting and supervisory jobs.
* A cessation in grants to historic buildings and thatched houses
will see this iconic vernacular architecture put at risk and the loss of
highly skilled thatchers.
* The Irish Strategic Archaeological Research Programme allocated 2
million Euros to advanced collaborative research in 2008-10. External
review considered this scheme to be 'a spectacular success and a model
for other countries to follow'. This created research posts for 25 young
researchers making sense of the vast amounts of archaeological
information generated during the recent boom. The survival of this
scheme is now questionable.
The Heritage Council is the statutory body charged with identifying,
protecting, preserving and enhancing Ireland's national heritage.
National heritage includes Monuments, Archaeological objects, Heritage
objects, Architectural heritage, Flora, Fauna, Wildlife habitats,
Landscapes, Seascapes, Wrecks, Geology, Heritage gardens and parks, and
Inland waterways.
Established under the Heritage Act 1995, and operating under the aegis
of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the
Heritage Council provides advice to the Minister, and partners and
networks with Local Authorities and a wide range of other organisations
and individuals to promote Ireland's heritage.
http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/news-press/heritage-council-corporate-news/view-article/article/irelands-heritage-sector-decimated-by-punitive-cuts/?tx_ttnews[backPid]=6&cHash=ad6f5c64d4
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