Vol. 458 No. 8
102 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the protection plans, if any, in place regarding industrial stone buildings; and the action, if any, he intends to take to protect industrial stone buildings, such as mills around the country. [17812/95]
Provision exists for the protection of the architectural heritage, including industrial stone buildings, under the National Monuments Acts and under the local authority listing system. I have introduced improved protection for monuments by the procedure of Recorded Monuments in the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994. There is also the existing provisions for placing preservation orders on monuments of national importance and for the State to intervene directly by acquiring such monuments where this is necessary and appropriate. Prime examples of such interventions are Newmills, County Donegal, which encompasses a flax and a corn mill, which was acquired by the State and restored as a working mill and is now open to the public, and Bunnadober Mill, Ballinrobe, County Mayo, which is a unique and very important example of industrial archaeology, and whose acquisition on behalf of the State I have approved with a view to its restoration and presentation to the public.
