Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 December 2013
211. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which a full audit of all historical buildings, including those of architectural and cultural interest, exists; the degree to which any alterations have been made in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51916/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) is a State initiative under the administration of my Department. Its purpose is to identify, record, and evaluate the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently, as an aid in the protection and conservation of the built heritage as set out under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012. Under this initiative, of which details are available on my Department’s website www.buildingsofireland.ie, a survey of the architectural heritage of Ireland is complete for all counties except Donegal and Dublin. The most recent county surveys were completed this year in Cavan, Monaghan and Mayo. The Donegal survey will be published in early 2014 and the survey of the architectural heritage of Dublin has commenced and will progress through 2014.
Details of all monuments protected under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004 are available on the website of my Department’s National Monuments Service, www.archaeology.ie. The National Monuments Acts require that any proposed works at or in relation to a protected monument must be notified in writing to my Department not less than 2 months in advance of the commencement of such works. Furthermore, any works proposed at or in proximity to a national monument in my ownership or guardianship, or that of a local authority, or which is subject to a Preservation Order or Temporary Preservation Order, cannot proceed without my prior written consent. All proposed works in relation to protected monuments, as outlined above, are individually scrutinised by my Department.
