Vol. 477 No. 2
107 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the financial support, if any, available to property owners for conservation and preservation of buildings; his views in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8882/97]
Fiscal reliefs available include tax relief under section 19 of the Finance Act, 1982, as amended by section 18 of the Finance Act, 1994. This provides for full relief from income tax or corporation tax to the owner or occupier of a building of significant historical, architectural or aesthetic interest in respect of expenditure incurred in the repair, maintenance, or restoration of such a building, subject to the provision of public access to the building. This relief also extends to any garden or grounds of an ornamental nature occupied or enjoined with such a building.
The Heritage Council which is a statutory, autonomous body under the Heritage Act, 1995, has powers to provide advice and assistance, including financial assistance, to persons and bodies in relation to the protection, preservation and promotion of, inter alia, the architectural heritage.
The conservation and restoration of urban architecture and heritage buildings has also been addressed by the Minister for the Environment, in the context of the urban and village renewal sub-programme of the Operational Programme for Local and Rural Development which was launched on 2 February 1995 by the Taoiseach. This sub-programme, inter alia, provides support to civic trusts, conservation groups and local authorities to promote various urban conservation measures in towns throughout the country. The scheme involves giving grant aid to local authorities and other bodies on the basis of matching funds from local sources. The objective is to rehabilitate the built environment, in city-town centre areas, through the conservation and restoration of urban architecture and heritage buildings.
Under the urban renewal schemes, operated by the Department of the Environment, the full construction costs incurred in the refurbishment of an existing building in a designated area for residential purposes can be offset against the owner-occupier's and-or lessor's tax liability over a period of ten years. In the case of existing buildings which are refurbished for certain approved commercial uses, excluding offices, half of the construction costs can be offset against the owner-occupier's and-or lessor's tax liability over a period of ten years. These incentives apply to heritage buildings in the same way as to other buildings. In general, the urban renewal tax incentives schemes favour refurbishment over new construction.
