Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I am taking this Commencement matter on his behalf. Aldborough House is an 18th century mansion in Dublin city on Portland Row, as Senator Sherlock has outlined. Originally built for the Earl of Aldborough between 1793 and 1799, the classical Palladian design with quadrant walls and flanking pavilions is attributed to Richard Johnson. In 1813, it was leased to a private school and afterwards became an army barracks in the mid-19th century. It is currently in third-party private ownership, as the Senator has also outlined.

As a building on the register of protected structures, Aldborough House is eligible for financial support provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage through the relevant local authority under the built heritage investment scheme and the historic structures fund, HSF. Applications by the owner of the property for HSF funding have been successful in recent years, with €50,000 awarded in 2021 for repairs to the cut-granite facade, conservation of timber sash windows and other repairs. This year, a further €44,000 was awarded for further conservation and repair of timber sash windows and the timber-panelled entrance doors. These schemes provide assistance to owners of historic buildings in following through on their duty of care to these important historic structures.

Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage in their area by including structures of special interest on the register of protected structures, RPS. Inclusion on the RPS places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and gives local authorities obligations and powers to safeguard their future. I note that the structure in question is already on the RPS of Dublin City Council.

Aldborough House remains an imposing Palladian mansion despite its current condition and retains most external detailing with impressive side and rear elevations. The survival of Aldborough House contributes to the sense of continuity, interest and significance of this area of Dublin, which at the time of its construction was the north-eastern fringe of the city, overlooking the newly opened Royal Canal.

I understand that discussions took place between the Office of Public Works, OPW, and Dublin City Council regarding this property in 2020. This was an assessment of the viability of acquiring the property and potentially bringing this building into use as an office development. The general agreement was that this property was not suitable for this purpose. It did not appear to be viable to develop it as office space when the magnitude of investment required to conserve the protected structure was compared to the market rents in the area. This made it unsuitable for consideration by the OPW.

Following discussion within OPW in 2020, the view was formed that, as a straight commercial proposition, the development of the Five Lamps property was not viable. However, there would be a different economic analysis if this were considered as an urban regeneration project. If the project outcomes were anchored in issues such as societal change, reduction in crime, raising of confidence in the region, opening up a gateway for further development in the north inner city and the restoration of an important protected structure, perhaps there would be funding available. There could be an opportunity for Dublin City Council to explore this, perhaps with urban regeneration and development funding. I note that Aldborough House is noted in the Dublin city development plan within the north-east inner city strategic development regeneration areas as a focal point for the local community.

For obvious reasons the State must be selective in its acquisition of historic buildings. Purchasing protected structures solely for purposes of conservation would introduce uncertainty as to where responsibility for safeguarding lies and may lead to perverse outcomes. Acquiring historic buildings for other public purposes would require a clear plan for their use and a strong rationale in terms of cost and public good. While the OPW recognises the historic significance of the Aldborough House, no immediate cultural or artistic use presents itself. However, the OPW would be open to engaging with the local authority or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage should a suitable proposition be developed for the conservation and use of the house in the future.