The Heritage Council said yesterday that "a lack of knowledge" was obstructing "proper development" in heritage preservation.
The council - a statutory body appointed by the Minister for the Environment - criticised a "poor level of survey work" in relation to planning.
It said that much confrontation over major infrastructural projects could be avoided if the State had readily accessible information on heritage issues, area by area. The council said the establishment of a national biological records centre, would help to tackle many of the problems impeding development.
Mr Liam Lysagh, ecologist at the heritage council, said issues like the Pollardstown snail which halted the building of the Kildare bypass could have been avoided if the State had a central information unit which could advise on issues of biological importance.
Mr Lysaght said the unit could also be of enormous importance in relation to habitat designation. With additional researchers it would be possible to pinpoint exactly where conservation must take place, making the need to sterilise large areas of farms unnecessary.
Ms Mary Hanna an architect with the council said much of the character which distinguishes towns and villages was in danger of being lost if radical action is not taken. Specifically, she said there was a danger that the only thatched houses soon remaining would be in theme parks. She revealed that the council is in talks with Dublin City Council on demonstrating that building conservation, instead of demolition and rebuilding, is environmentally more sustainable and ultimately cheaper.
The council has determined that measures, such as grants for preventative maintenance for heritage properties, or the creating of a knowledge-based records centre to inform planners, could actually save the State money - particularly in avoiding protracted disputes. "Levels of understanding about heritage issues are very low in Ireland," said Mr Michael Starrett, chief executive of the Heritage Council.
"Recent surveys show that Irish levels of knowledge about heritage and the environment lag far behind those of other EU countries.
"This has resulted in many problems including the loss of precious parts of our heritage which we can not get back and disputes and legal actions which block major projects and increase the costs of the finished schemes."
