Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 July 2014
142. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider designating the Poolbeg chimneys a heritage site; if she will work with the ESB to find funding for their upkeep; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31991/14]
View answer158. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider designating the Poolbeg chimneys a heritage site; if she will work with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the ESB to find funding for their upkeep; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31990/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 158 together.
Statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for the planning authorities under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. Under the provisions of the Act, each planning authority is required, for the purpose of protecting structures, or parts of structures, which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest, to include in its development plan a Record of Protected Structures and to include in that record every structure which is, in the opinion of the planning authority, of such interest within its functional area. This may be done at the time of the preparation of the development plan or, where appropriate, at any other time.
Section 53(1) of the 2000 Act enables the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to make recommendations to a planning authority concerning the inclusion of specific structures in its Record of Protected Structures. A planning authority must have regard to any such recommendations. Ministerial recommendations are generally based on National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) surveys undertaken by my Department of the post-1700 built heritage of the country. Such a survey for Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is currently underway. However, as the NIAH has not yet undertaken any fieldwork in Ringsend, no Ministerial recommendation has been made regarding the structures in question. The making of an addition to, or deletion from, a Record of Protected Structures is a reserved function of the planning authorities and in this case is ultimately a matter for Dublin City Council.
As the Deputy can appreciate, the scope for funding for the conservation of the built heritage is currently constrained by the significant reduction in the public finances. The competing priorities regarding the preservation and enhancement of the national heritage is kept under ongoing review, having regard to the resources available to my Department.
