Part IV of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012 provides for the protection of architectural heritage. The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage 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.
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is a State initiative under the administration of my Department. Its purpose is to identify, record, and evaluate the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently, as an aid in the protection and conservation of the built heritage. As Minister, I recommend structures rated as being of 'regional importance' or above to the planning authorities for inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures. However, the making of an addition to, or a deletion from, a record of protected structures is a reserved function of the relevant planning authorities, in this case Kildare County Council.
I am advised that there are 12 buildings in the Curragh Camp recorded in the NIAH survey of 2003, which were recommended to be included in the Record of Protected Structures of Kildare County Council. I understand that subsequently 7 of these structures were added to the Record of Protected Structures. My Department has no record of having received reasons for non-inclusion of the remaining structures and will formally enquire of Kildare County Council as to the reasons the remaining 5 structures were not included in the Record.
