The inclusion of structures on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) is a matter for the relevant local authority, in this case Kildare County Council. It is up to the planning authority to decide whether a structure should be included in the Record by identifying characteristics of special interest under various headings including architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, technical, and social. A planning authority can use a number of different sources to help it to identify structures for protection whether by carrying out surveys or through the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) (a unit within the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht). The NIAH compiles records of the architectural heritage of Ireland and provides the planning authorities with details of surveys of their area and makes recommendations on structures to be added to the RPS. It is up to the planning authority to decide if any of the structures recommended should be included in the RPS. My Department has not sought to influence the Council in relation to the buildings it might list.
My Department’s property portfolio consists of a diverse range of facilities from conventional military barracks, training lands, forts, camps, dwelling houses and land and the Curragh Camp, by the nature of its many varied structures, is a clear example of this diversity. A number of buildings in the Camp have been identified as of historical or architectural significance and the preservation and maintenance needs for both these and all other buildings in the Camp are reviewed as part of the Department’s maintenance and capital expenditure programme each year.
