Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides for the protection of architectural heritage. The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage, including thatched buildings, by including them on the Record of Protected Structures. Inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with development proposals affecting them and to seek to safeguard their future. My Department does not maintain a record of the number of habitable thatched units. However, it is the practice of my Department when undertaking county surveys for the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage to accord a regional rating to thatched structures where the roof is intact. Structures rated regional or higher are subsequently recommended by me, as Minister, to a planning authority, under section 53 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 for inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures. Information on thatched buildings recorded by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is available on the Department's website, www.buildingsofireland.ie. In 2005, a report and action plan published by my Department on the present and future protection of thatched structures in Ireland identified over 1,500 surviving thatched structures in the country, although many more thatched roofs are known to survive under later coverings such as corrugated metal roofs.
While the overall number of thatch roofs declined in the second half of the 20th century, increased legislative protection for the architectural heritage and heightened awareness of this part of our national heritage has meant that this decline has stabilised and the future of the surviving thatched buildings is more secure. The nature of thatch is such that it requires regular maintenance and more frequent renewal in comparison with other types of roofing. However, some of the costs involved in maintaining thatched properties can be attributed to the use of an incorrect material, issues with the style of thatching and material used, and severe weather conditions. There are some funding streams which can assist owners of thatched houses in repairing or maintaining their thatched roofs, including my Department's Structures at Risk Fund, the Heritage Council Heritage Management Conservation grants scheme and a grant scheme for the renewal or repair of thatched roofs administered by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The issue of insurance for historic buildings, including thatched structures, has been raised by my Department with both the Financial Services Regulator and the Irish Insurance Federation. As a result, officials within my Department have engaged with local authority architectural conservation officers and other stakeholders in collating specific information regarding historic buildings and insurance with the intention of further examining this issue with both of these bodies, if applicable.
