Additional Information for Applicants
Please read carefully before completing the application
If you are considering applying for Meath County Council Community Grant Scheme in
2007 for a heritage project the following information may be relevant to your
application.
The Heritage Act, 1995, defines national heritage as including monuments,
archaeological objects, heritage objects, architectural heritage, flora, fauna, wildlife
habitats, landscapes, seascapes, wrecks, heritage gardens and parks, geology and inland
waterways.
Hedgerow Management:
Under section 40 of the 1976 Wildlife Act, as amended by Section 46 of the Wildlife
(Amendment) Act, 2000, it is prohibited to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy, during
the period March 1st to August 31st, in any year, any vegetation growing in any hedge or
ditch, except in certain, legally defined circumstances.
Protected Structures:
A protected structure is a structure that a planning authority considers to be of special
interest from an architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural and scientific,
social or technical point of view. The Record of Protected Structures (RPS) forms part of
the County Meath Development Plan, 2001 (www.meath.ie/devplan). Any community
group considering applying for funding for protected structures should seek advice from
Meath County Council.
Graveyards:
Groups should check carefully the ownership and legal status of a graveyard. A licence
is required from the National Monuments Service of the Department of the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government prior to undertaking any work on any graveyard that is a
Recorded Monument. All works in graveyards funded under the community grant
scheme shall be in accordance with the guidelines as set out in the ‘Care and
Conservation of Graveyards’ (OPW 1995)
Archaeological sites:
All known sites and monuments are identified and listed for protection by the National
Monuments and Historic Properties Service, in the Record of Monuments and Places, a
statutory inventory of sites protected under the National Monuments Acts (1930-1994).
The Record of Monuments and Places is a set of 6" maps of County Meath with an
accompanying index which shows all the sites, monuments and zones of archaeological
potential, recorded to date in the county. The inventory concentrates on pre 1700 AD
sites. The Record of Monuments and Places is available to the public at the Planning
Office of Meath County Council.
Under Section 12 (3) of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994 monuments
and places included in the record are protected as follows:
"Where the owner or occupier (not being the commissioners) of a monuments or place which
have been recorded under subsection (1) of this section or any person proposes to carry out, or to
cause or permit the carrying out of, any work at or in relation to such monument or place, he
shall give notice in writing of his proposal to necessity and with the consent of the
Commissioners and shall not, except in the case of urgent necessity and with the consent of the
Commissioners, commence the work for a period of two months after having given the notice"
This notice shall be sent to the National Monuments and Historic Properties Service, Dún
Scéine, Harcourt Lane, Dublin 2. Telephone 01-4117100.
Sites designated for nature conservation:
If a community group plan to undertake a project on sites they should check if any nature
conservation designation exists i.e. many rivers are designated in County Meath.
Designated sites in County Meath are detailed in the Meath County Development Plan,
2001 (www.meath.ie/devplan) or alternatively at www.heritagedata.ie.
Nature conservation designations include proposed candidate Special Areas of
Conservation (SACs) designated under the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) e.g. River
Boyne and Blackwater, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated under the EU Birds
Directive (79/409/EEC) or Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) protected by the Wildlife
(Amendment) Act, 2000.
Consultation and permission will be required from the National Parks and Wildlife
Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Consultation with the Fisheries Board may also be necessary.
Planting
Where possible, planting of native species appropriate to the area is encouraged.
Protected flora, fauna and habitats:
Meath County Council may request that a flora/fauna survey be undertaken as part of the
conditions of a community grant e.g. all Irish bat species are protected under the Wildlife
Act (1976) and Wildlife [Amendment] Act (2000) and are listed under Annex IV of the
Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).
Consent:
Where consents is necessary it is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain all
necessary consents on approval of grant and prior to commencement of project.