The Irish Geological Heritage Programme is identifying and selecting the very best national sites for NHA designation, to represent the country's geology. It is also identifying many sites of national or local geological heritage importance, which are classed as County Geological Sites (CGS), although these will not receive the statutory protection of NHA sites. However, the IGH Programme views the Local Authorities as critical partners in protecting, through the planning system, those CGS which fall within their county limits. In many cases these are often sites of high amenity or educational value, already zoned or listed in the plan. Listing in the CDP provides protection of the sites against potentially damaging developments that normally require planning permission, such as building, quarrying, landfilling or forestry. It is also important that the democratic process of public consultation and approval by councillors of the CDP means that stakeholders in the sites and all the local community can buy into the process.

CGS have been adopted in the National Heritage Plan, and will form a major strand of geological nature conservation to complement the various ecological and cultural conservation measures. It is important to note however, that management issues for the majority of geological heritage sites may differ from ecological sites, and in some cases development may facilitate enhanced geological understanding of a site by exposing more rock sections - for example, in a quarry extension. Consultation at the earliest stages can identify any issues relevant to an individual site or proposed development.

These two geological site designations (NHA & CGS) supersede the Area of Scientific Interest (ASIs) designation of previous decades, although geological sites have only recently been subject to re-assessment. County Geological Sites are the optimal way of addressing the responsibility of each authority under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to protect sites of geological interest.

The best way to document the geological heritage is to carry out an Audit of County Geological Sites. A County Geological Heritage Project is usually supported by the Local Authority, GSI and the Heritage Council. It is usually an action of the current Heritage Plan. The diagram below summarises the process:



The audits carried out so far and subsequent produced reports are available below for download. 
Shapefiles are available for the following: Waterford, Meath, Fingal and Kilkenny.

If you are a Planner or a Heritage Officer interested in getting your County Geological Sites Audit carried out, depending on funding availability, please contact Sarah Gatley, 01-678 2837, sarah.gatley@gsi.ie , Head of the IGH programme, to discuss details and timeframe.