An Taisce's submission to Consultation on the Strategy Issues Paper for the National Landscape Strategy for Ireland November 2011
An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland, welcomes this opportunity for public consultation on Irelands proposed Landscape Strategy. An Taisce was established in 1948 and is Ireland’s oldest voluntary environmental organisation. It is a national organisation and a prescribed body under a number of environmental and planning, acts and regulations in Ireland.
An Taisce Natural Heritage supports the European Landscape Convention in its aims to increase awareness of the value of landscapes; to improve training and education about the landscape; and to provide a procedure of landscape identification, assessment, protection and quality objectives. In Ireland there is currently a lack of integrated and comprehensive study to characterise, analyse and document the physical and historic landscape and seascape. There is the need for national consistency in characterisation and valuing of the landscape. An Taisce Natural Heritage support a National Landscape Strategy that should unite the landscape and override local administrative boundaries. Landscape must become a mainstream political concern and demands a forward-looking attitude. National policy should recognise the ecosystem services set in the natural landscape upon which humans rely for everyday life.
In recent years Ireland has had the fastest population increase in the EU. The unprecedented physical and infrastructural investment which occurred between the mid 1990’s and 2007 has put extreme pressure on our landscape both urban and rural.
An Taisce wishes to emphasise the value and importance of all landscape and seascapes, not just designated or special areas. An Taisce recognises the role that systematic characterisation can play in the assessment of new development and land management. Landscape and seascape is primarily considered from a homocentric view, ie. as a resource to be utilised by humans, but it also has an intrinsic value, in particular as a range of natural systems. Greater consideration is needed in the way we manage our landscapes to ensure that negative impacts are minimised and positive impacts enhanced.
Ireland’s distinctive yet diverse landscape is a key resource providing the physical setting for everyday life, it gives a sense of place and belonging to individuals and communities. Biodiversity and natural heritage are integral elements of the past and present landscape. This should not be forgotten in the future, where dominant human activity threatens the natural integrity of the landscape.
An Taisce supports the definition of landscape provided by the European Landscape Convention (with the additional recognition of seascape) - a "Landscape or Seascape" means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.
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