Vol. 518 No. 3
233 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her plans, if any, to assist in the establishment of a trust to ensure the protection and preservation of the monastery chapel of St. Alphonsus, Dublin 9; and if she will detail the discussions between her officials and the construction company which acquired the chapel. [11639/00]
The monastery chapel of St. Alphonsus is a building of international architectural significance and was rated as a list 1 building in the 1999 Dublin city development plan. As such, it automatically became a protected structure on January 1 of this year, under the provisions of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1999.
I met last week with representatives of the local community who were concerned about the future of the chapel. This delegation proposed the establishment of a trust involving my Department, Shannon Homes – the developers – An Taisce, the Redemptoristine Order and local community groups. They were strongly of the opinion that the chapel should not remain in private ownership, pointing to major alterations carried out on other church interiors in the Dublin area. While I acknowledged their fears, I pointed out that the coming into effect of the 1999 Act on January 1 last strengthens the protection of the architectural heritage.
The protection afforded under the new Act, covers both the interior and exterior of the building and, in the absence of a declaration from Dublin Corporation outlining works which are exempted development, any alterations to the chapel will require planning permission. Planning applications received by local authorities relating to any protected structure must be forwarded to my Department for observation. I believe that the strength of these provisions will be sufficient to safeguard the architectural integrity of the building.
Officials from my Department recently met with representatives of Shannon Homes and were informed that the building was to be offered for sale on the Irish market. The stated aim of the developers is to find a buyer who will have a use for the building that will not adversely affect its architectural integrity.
In view of the fact that a suitable buyer may not be found, a number of potential options for the future management of the chapel were also discussed. These included: the formation of a trust between my Department, Shannon Homes, the Redemptoristine Order and a representative of local community groups; ownership retained by Shannon Homes but a management committee, which will include a representative from my Department, will be set up to safeguard the future of the chapel; ownership transferred to my Department, with the setting up of a similar management committee, involving Shannon Homes, who will provide funding for the upkeep of the chapel; continued reliance on the powers of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1999, to protect the chapel's architectural integrity.
