Climate change is becoming an "ever increasing" threat to Ireland's heritage sites, according to Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan.
The warning comes on International Day for Monuments & Sites, with this year's theme being Heritage and Climate.
The Green Party TD said in a post on Twitter that he wanted to "acknowledge all of the heritage professionals working to conserve, protect and care for our shared monuments as climate change becomes an ever increasing threat".
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage released a video to celebrate International Day for Monuments & Sites.
Today we celebrate International Day for Monuments & Sites. This year's theme is Heritage and Climate. Ireland's heritage strategy,Heritage Ireland 2030,supports the implementation of climate-change sectoral adaptation plans to address impacts on built & archaeological heritage pic.twitter.com/d4syqzXoHz
— Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (@DeptHousingIRL) April 18, 2022
"Ireland's heritage is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Our monuments and historic buildings, while they have stood for centuries, are not immune from these impacts," it said.
"This historic built environment is critical in addressing climate change.
"Protecting, adapting and reusing historic building stock reduces environment waste and the carbon dioxide emissions associated with demolition and reconstruction."
A new Government plan, Heritage Ireland 2030, was launched last February.
It sets out a framework for the protection, conservation, promotion and management of Ireland's heritage for the next decade and beyond.
Speaking at the time, Minister Noonan said: "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."
