Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
687. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if her Department has received any application under the built heritage investment scheme or the built heritage jobs leverage scheme from Cork County Council to support work at a location. (details supplied). [14192/17]
View answer688. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if there have been on-site inspections of a site (details supplied) since the fire in 2016 in order to ascertain its structural safety; if so, the conclusion; and if not, her views on whether that would be positive and useful. [14193/17]
View answer689. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has received an application under the structures at risk fund to enable conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, that are protected under the Planning and Development Acts, for a location (details supplied). [14194/17]
View answer690. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she has provided any financial assistance to Cork County Council in support of protecting a site (details supplied) since the significant fire in 2016. [14195/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 687 to 690, inclusive, together.
My role, as Minister, with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage, is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners as regards heritage assets.
Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides for the protection of architectural heritage. The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including relevant structures 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.
There is a duty of owners and occupiers to protect structures from endangerment. Where structures become endangered or unauthorised development has been or is being carried out, the planning authority has the powers to take appropriate action under the Planning & Development and Sanitary Services Acts.
The structure referred to here is listed on the Record of Protected Structures for County Cork. The destruction of the house, which I understand is the subject of a Garda investigation as a criminal matter, is deeply regrettable. Officials of my Department met the local authority in the week following the fire and have been in contact with it again recently.
In relation to financial support for conservation and protection of heritage buildings, this is provided by my Department through a number of structured schemes.
The Structures at Risk Fund (SRF) enables conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, that are protected under the Planning and Development Acts and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. The closing date for receipt of applications from members of the public for the 2017 Structures at Risk Scheme was 28 February 2017. My Department has not received an application from Cork County Council for assistance under the fund in respect of the structure mentioned.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is also for the repair and conservation of protected structures. The closing date for local authorities to receive applications from members of the public was 28 February 2017. Applications are currently being assessed in local authorities and my Department does not as yet have details of the projects proposed, so I cannot say whether the structure mentioned has been the subject of an application for assistance under BHIS 2017.
My Department has not received any request for financial assistance from Cork County Council in respect of the structure mentioned since the fire in 2016.
