John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am replying on behalf of the senior Minister. Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority is required, for the purpose of protecting structures or parts of structures which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest, to include a comprehensive record of protected structures in its development plan. The making of an addition to, or a deletion from, a record of protected structures is a reserved function of the planning authorities.

The Act also enables the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to make recommendations to a planning authority concerning the inclusion of specific structures in its record of protected structures, and a planning authority must have regard to any such recommendations. These recommendations are based on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, NIAH, surveys conducted by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The aim of the NIAH surveys is generally to include structures which are of international, national and regional importance.

The initial scoping of the NIAH survey for Dublin City has commenced. The survey will represent a significant undertaking and considerable further planning is required.

A planning authority must decide whether a structure is worthy of inclusion in the record of protected structures by identifying the characteristics of special interest which would merit its inclusion. The Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities issued by the Department indicate features that may contribute to the character and special interest of a structure. The guidelines also set out criteria that should be applied when selecting proposed protected structures for inclusion in the record of protected structures. There are also a number of means by which planning authorities can identify structures of special interest within their functional areas including the national inventory of architectural heritage surveys and inventories carried out by the planning authorities themselves.

As regards the assessment of structures of local interest, it is the responsibility of the planning authority to make its own assessment of the most appropriate way to protect structures that have not been inspected by the NIAH or that have been given a rating of local importance by the inventory.

On foot of a request by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin City Council has provided details to the Department as to the sequence of events in connection with the listing procedure it had initiated for inclusion of the chapel at St. James's Hospital in its record of protected structures; the listing was subsequently not progressed. Further information on this matter is being sought by the Department from the city council.

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