Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2017
198. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the statutory protection for archaeological and historical sites that post-date 1700; if this protection has been changed in the past ten years; if so, the reason this protection was changed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44778/17]
View answerMy role, as Minister, with regard to the protection and management of our built heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the role 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 irrespective of age. 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.
As regards the protection of architectural heritage, there have been no relevant amendments to the Act in the past ten years. A comprehensive review of Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, was carried out in 2014 by my Department, assisted by an expert advisory committee. The final report of the review is available on my Department’s website.
My Department is fully committed to protecting our unique archaeological heritage under the provisions of the National Monuments Acts. There are no date related limitations in the Acts. Under the 1987 Act any monument that is earlier than 1700AD is automatically deemed an historic monument and thus eligible for inclusion in the Register of Historic Monuments. For later structures, I can, as Minister, form a view that they are also historic monuments and thus entitled to the same protections.
New monuments legislation is currently being drafted which will allow for the establishment of a Register of Monuments. This new Register will similarly not be date limited though monument age might of course be taken into account in formulating policies on categories of monuments to be entered in it.
