Site visit to Skellig Michael.
Office of Public Works
Sceilg Michíl Stakholder Forum
An essential component for the effective management of Scelig Michíl is the establishment of channels for communication and exchange with the multiple local governmental, institutional and private stakeholders based on the Iveragh peninsula, among which there are local communities, public agencies, interest groups dealing with the management of the site, private owners, boatmen, tourism and service industry. The forum is a space in which stakeholders and interest groups can communicate with the site management team and address issues of mutual interest and to inform decision-making processes. Additionally, the forum offers a space to promote public awareness and pursue the engagement of the local stakeholders with the World Heritage property of Scelig Michíl.
The forum is organized and coordinated by the OPW in cooperation with Skellig Michael Implementation Group and it includes representatives of all relevant interes groups.
This approach is fundamental also in view of strengthening existing cooperation with national and local partners in the development of a sustainable tourism strategy for the site, a project that has already begun in 2017 with the comprehensive Visitor Experience Development Plan that was published as a result of the cooperation between OPW, Failté Ireland and local stakeholders.
The creation of a forum has been enabled through the experience of close cooperation carried out by Office of Public Works (OPW) which in the management of the site and the cooperation with local community . This cooperation has been long harnessed through the constant and long-term presence of the management team on site and the active involvement with local communities, including both public and private bodies.
Communities and local actors have a fundamental role in the effective management of Scelig Michíl. The forum itself is the result of the lessons learned during the implementation of the 2008-2018 World Heritage Management plan and the overall conservation and management of the island in the past four decades.
The effective management of a heritage place and particularly of a World Heritage properties requires the establishment of an adequate structure of communication and consultation with local communities, key public and private stakeholders to ensure that decisions are taken with in an informed manner and after adequate consultation.
The implementation of the previous plan has underlined the importance of holding regular meetings with communities, local authorities, local interests groups to discuss specific areas of interest, and the forum offers a change to bring together all relevant stakeholders for more comprehensive discussions on the conservation of the site as well as its sustainable use.