Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2013
137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he and his Department have identified buildings or sites or cultural or historical significance deemed to be at risk for whatever reason; the action in hand or planned to address such issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19710/13]
View answerMy Department has a comprehensive suite of tools, both legislative and advisory, at its disposal to address reports of actual damage or threats of damage to protected structures and monuments. All known archaeological monuments, of which there are in excess of 130,000, are entitled to protection under the National Monuments Acts. The National Monuments Acts 1930-2004 allow me to make a preservation order where I consider a national monument to be at risk. Protection may be extended to previously unrecorded monuments by entering them in the Register of Historic Monuments or the Record of Monuments and Places. Prosecutions in respect of damage to recorded monuments are initiated where warranted.
Under section 53 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2011, I may make recommendations to a planning authority concerning the inclusion in its record of protected structures any structures which I consider would merit such inclusion and the attendant planning restrictions which would apply to protect the structures’ special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest. My Department has been and is currently involved in various actions which aim to address specific issues such as the endangerment of our national heritage. These include the work of an expert advisory committee, set up in 2011 and representing key stakeholders, to review the operation of Part IV of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2011 in respect of protection and management of architectural heritage.
Additionally I provide funding through a Structures at Risk Fund to assist with works to safeguard structures protected under Part IV and, in certain cases, works to safeguard structures within Architectural Conservation Areas, where an urgent need for works to such structures has arisen and has been demonstrated. Comprehensive statistics are not available in respect of the numbers of reports of actual damage or threats of damage to protected structures and monuments.
