Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, to the House. I note that there are three former Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors here - one in the Chair, one putting the question and one answering the question. Senator Conway-Walsh is also welcome to the Chamber. It is like Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown on tour. I call Senator Boyhan.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, to the House because I am aware of her track record with the built heritage and architecture of the county, particularly her work in Dún Laoghaire but also in Dalkey, Killiney and Shankill all the way up to Monkstown, Blackrock and Booterstown. The Acting Chairman will be aware of it too.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We are dealing with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Dundrum, Kilcullen and everywhere.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

And Foxrock.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am just coming to that. I would also say Dundrum as well. Last week, I received a substantial number of boxes of architectural drawings and pictures relating to Dún Laoghaire which were done by the late Mr. Stephen Devaney. I have been in touch with the council and, if it will not be deposited with the council, it will be deposited in Merrion Square at the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. It is an amazing amount of work. Much of it, strangely enough, deals also with Dundrum, Kilgobbin and thereabouts. These are photographs, etchings and drawings. I acknowledge the work of An Taisce in south Dublin, not just in Dún Laoghaire, which did a great deal of this work. It is a valuable piece of work and timely. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage might like to look at it.

I thank the Minister of State for attending. I am trying to maintain the focus. There has been an inventory of architectural heritage carried out in many local authority areas. There is merit in having it. Outside of Dublin and Cork, Dún Laoghaire would have one of the largest percentages of protected structures, and rightly so, because they are unique and are worth protecting. We have to make progress, at the same time, and we have to develop and move forward.

We can cherish the past and mind our architectural past while also being progressive enough to look for imaginative synergies and solutions to develop our towns and villages. I hope to keep our collective focus on it, to work on it and maybe to get some sort of measure as to when it will happen. This information is important because it will act as a toolkit in many ways to informing decisions about planning.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising the matter. I, too, pay tribute to the late Mr. Stephen Devaney. I certainly knew him and I am aware of the good work that he did to protect our conservation areas and to protect the beautiful county we all share with Senator Horkan.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, planning authorities are required to maintain a record of protected structures. The Act specifies that this should include structures of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest within its functional area.

The compilation of a National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, an inventory of structures of such interest, is a project being undertaken by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Deputy Madigan, as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, uses the data from the inventory to recommend to each planning authority structures for inclusion on its record of protected structures. A total of 45,388 such recommendations have issued to date.

A planning authority must have regard to any recommendations made to it, but ultimately the addition or deletion of a structure to or from the record of protected structures is a reserved function of the elected members of each local authority.

The initial survey for the country has been substantially completed except for Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. These two local planning authority areas were consciously left to last as they have a significant record of protected structures, unlike many other counties. However, I understand that both authorities are keen to have the inventory done and recommendations made for their functional areas as an independent review of their existing record of protected structures and to provide a modern data structure for its future management.I understand that there are approximately 2,000 structures on the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown record of protected structures. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, field surveys have been completed for the Glencullen, Shankill, Cabinteely and Foxrock areas. Arising from these surveys, 383 recommendations have been made by the Minister to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, most recently in August of last year. Two further contracts for field recordings in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown are planned for 2018. The first is to be advertised in May. Arising from these, further recommendations to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown will be made by the Minister, Deputy Madigan. As an initial field identification for the area has yet to be completed, and based on current survey numbers with reference to previous surveys of this scale, it will be years before the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown inventory is substantially completed.

The data from the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown surveys will be added to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website, www.buildingsofireland.ie, in the near future. The website receives approximately 1.5 million page views a year. Although its original audience was seen as owners, building professionals and local authority staff, the experience, from user feedback and questions, is that the website attracts a much wider international audience, often people working on their family history or planning an Irish visit. The Senator is right that there is huge interest in architectural conservation and heritage in our county. I thank him for posing the question earlier.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. We should acknowledge that the Minister, Deputy Madigan, is another former Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councillor, so there are many connections to the area here. I call Senator Boyhan.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. We have a great ally in the Minister, Deputy Madigan, and her record stands as someone who has been supportive of the built architectural heritage. I am delighted that the Minister of State has shared that two more sets of fieldwork are to be undertaken in 2018, which is very positive. I acknowledge the conservation grants that we have received from the Department. It is not enough but it is positive. I thank everyone involved. Maybe the Minister will keep the focus on this issue and keep highlighting it. Together, we can protect this unique built heritage and architecture in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boyhan. Does the Minister of State have anything else to add?

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is something interesting for all of us who are from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. I see that my notes here mention the telephone box in Foxrock.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I remember discussing it in my council days.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It was erected in 1926. That shows the wide range of structures across the county. This is thought to be the last surviving example of this type of telephone box in the country.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not think it gets a huge amount of use but it is certainly a nice structure to have in the village.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It looks good.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State.