Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have been a building contractor all my working life. I have been involved in historical buildings dating as far back as the 14th century. The Government should provide insurance for every thatched house and listed building in the country. If we legislate to protect buildings and make them protected structures, the onus should be on the Government to provide insurance for them. The buck stops with the Government, as it should. We have heard stories of people living in these houses taking out their fireplaces and being told they cannot do certain things in their house. Every couple of years, the thatch needs to be graded down and rethatched. The people making rules for our heritage are not protecting it because they are putting the onus back on the people who own these listed buildings. The Government make the rules and legislation on listing. If it is serious about this issue, it has a responsibility to protect these buildings and provide proper funding. Not only are historical buildings not being protected but the conservation office in Limerick has one conservation officer to do above ground and one to do below ground. That is what they think of our heritage and of conservation. They make the rules so hard that it puts the onus back on the person who owns the property.

These properties are part of our history and if they are being regulated, the onus is on the Government to give the funding needed to protect them and to protect our heritage and that of the families and generations that have been in them before us. I came down to say that in person because I feel so strongly about this. This Government and previous Governments have failed to protect our heritage and are putting the onus on the people who own these buildings. I thank the Chair for allowing me to contribute.