Further month for submissions on Skellig plan

THE Department of the Environment has announced a month-long extension to allow for further public submissions on the management of Skellig Michael over the next decade.

The department recently published the draft plan to manage the conservation of this unique island from 2007 to 2017.

Lying 15km off the Iveragh peninsula in south Co Kerry, Skellig Michael has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The 700ft-high rock contains an extraordinary monastic settlement dating back more than a millennium and hundreds of steps leading up to the beehive huts and church on top of the island.

It is also an important site for wildlife, seabird colonies and flora.

The management of the site has aroused some controversy in the past and there has been recent criticism of the manner in which a number of buildings and structures have been conserved.

It is also a highly popular destination for tourists visiting Ireland, but since 1994 the numbers visiting the island — as well as the time window — have been restricted to 180 per day and only when the weather is good.

The draft report refers to a steep increase in visitors in the 1980s and the problems that ensued: “This led to a noticeable increase in damage to the site, both inadvertent and wilful. In this context the Office of Public Works initiated negotiations with local boatmen in 1994 to formulate an agreed plan to limit the daily number of visitors.”

The draft plan confirms the present arrangements for visitors will continue.

Environment Minister John Gormley yesterday explained why he had extended the consultation period until the end of September.

“I was pleased with the high level of interest in the draft plan and would encourage all community interest groups, professional and technical personnel and the wider public to actively engage in this worthwhile public consultation process,” he said.