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Architectural Heritage

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019

Thursday, 21 February 2019

Questions (218, 221, 223)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

218. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she plans to protect endangered historical sites or structures nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8957/19]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

221. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she continues to support heritage houses throughout County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8961/19]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

223. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of listed buildings including sites throughout County Kildare; the extent to which she continues to interact with a view to future protection and ongoing maintenance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8963/19]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 218, 221 and 223 together.

My functions as Minister with regard to the protection of our architectural heritage are set out in the Planning and Development Acts, as are the responsibilities of local authorities and owners.

The Planning and Development Acts give primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect our architectural heritage by including structures on the relevant local authority’s Record of Protected Structures. I draw on information provided by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, maintained by my Department, to recommend structures for inclusion 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 decision as to whether a building is placed on, or removed from the Record of Protected Structures is a reserved function of the relevant local authority. My Department does not keep a record of derelict or semi-derelict sites across the country, nor does it keep heritage sites under review generally, except where these sites are national monuments in State care or otherwise part of the historic national heritage estate which is managed by the Office of Public Works.

As Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, I am the owner or guardian of almost 1,000 national monuments in State care right across the country, ranging from prehistoric burial monuments to medieval fortifications and religious sites. Sites in my ownership or guardianship are maintained by the Office of Public Works. Conservation matters in relation to these sites are managed through regular liaison between the OPW and my Department, identifying condition issues and proposing appropriate conservation actions, carried out under consent where relevant.

My Department is also providing funding to the OPW in 2019 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership. As in previous years, in cooperation with its Office of Public Works and local authority partners, my Department’s National Monuments Service will also make available such funding as may be required over the course of 2019 in relation to the discharge of my functions as Minister under the National Monuments Acts, 1930-2014 to support rescue excavations and post excavation research at archaeological sites where there is an urgent risk to such being irreparably lost or damaged.

In November 2018, I announced €4.3 million in funding for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2019 (formerly the Structures at Risk Fund). The BHIS is a scheme for the repair and conservation of structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures. It is designed to leverage private capital for investment in small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled conservation professionals.

The HSF is for conservation and enhancement to heritage structures and historic buildings, in both private and public ownership, for the benefit of communities and the public.

Both schemes were open for applications until 31 January 2019. Full details are available on my Department’s website and on each local authority’s website.

The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports. Grant schemes are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie .

In terms of future funding, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of €1.2 billion in funding over the next 10 years, as part of Project Ireland 2040. This plan will see increased investment in protecting and celebrating our heritage across the country. More details on the commencement and completion dates for projects and programmes, as well as the timing of the expenditure in relation to them, will emerge as we go through the process of appraisal and planning as required under the Public Spending Code.

The public consultation for Heritage Ireland 2030, which I launched on 1 November, gives everyone the opportunity to have their say on the future of our heritage and to help identify the priorities for €285 million identified in Project Ireland 2040 for investment in our built and natural heritage.

There are four ways that people can engage with this consultation and have their say: by logging on to my Department’s website and completing the short survey at www.chg.gov.ie/heritage/heritageireland2030; by email to heritageireland2030@chg.gov.ie ; by participating in ongoing local events and workshops; or by post to Heritage Ireland 2030, The Custom House, Dublin 1, D01 W6XO.

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