asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that buildings of important historic interest to this country are falling into decay or are being sold; and if any effort will be made to purchase and hold in trust for the nation the most important of these buildings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Preservation of Historic Buildings.
I would refer the Deputy to the National Monuments Act, 1930, under which the Commissioners of Public Works are empowered, with the prior sanction of the Minister for Finance, to take into their guardianship a monument or the remains of a monument, the preservation of which is a matter of national importance by reason of the historical, architectural, traditional, artistic or archæological interest attaching thereto.
A building which is occupied as a dwelling by a person other than a person employed as the caretaker thereof or the family of that person is not, however, eligible for guardianship.