Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Clune for sharing her time. I want to briefly concur with Senator Norris on what he said about heritage homes. In many cases the owners of these homes are perceived to be extremely wealthy but in many cases they are doing a huge favour to the State in that they restore and spend huge amounts of money on these properties. They maintain them by keeping them warm and in many instances that is a huge ongoing cost. They maintain the grounds and in many cases they allow their homes to be visited by members of the public who are interested in the architecture and culture of the homes. Very few houses fall into this category and it is a category that should perhaps be assisted in some way in terms of some sort of an allowance.