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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 5 Feb 1998

Vol. 486 No. 5

Written Answers. - Historical Buildings.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

29 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the plans, if any, she has to provide additional funds for the Heritage Council to allow it to further support the preservation of historical buildings in view of the fact that the council has more than 300 applications for assistance on file and inadequate resources to deal with the demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2839/98]

I share the Deputy's concern that additional financial support be made available for the preservation of historical buildings.

Additional capital funding of £0.509 million was allocated by me to the Heritage Council by way of a Supplementary Estimate for my Department in December 1997. This supplementary allocation was made to enable the council to clear in 1997 outstanding grants commitments for conservation works to heritage buildings and thereby to make new grants in 1998 from its 1998 allocation in respect of conservation works to heritage buildings at risk, as identified by the council.

The total allocation for the Heritage Council in 1998 of £4 million represents an increase of 34 per cent on its original 1997 allocation, and includes a capital grant allocation of £1.5 million, which represents a 15 per cent increase over the 1997 basic capital allocation of £1.3 million.

I recognise that further additional funding could be put to excellent use by the Heritage Council to support the preservation of historic buildings and for other purposes, and I will be pursuing the question of further increased funding for the Heritage Council in 1999 and subsequent years.

Finally, as I have previously informed this House, I and my colleague, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey will — pursuant to the commitment in the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, to introduce legislation to protect and enhance our built environment and measures to promote the preservation of heritage dwellings — be submitting a package of specific legislative, administrative and financial proposals for strengthening the protection of the architectural heritage for consideration by Government shortly.

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