Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking time to be here. On behalf of the people of Castleblayney, I seek the Minister of State's help and assistance in addressing the dreadful and dangerous state of the Market House building in the centre of Castleblayney town. The Market House, which is a protected structure, dates back to 1801. Until the 1990s, the building was used as a library and the Courts Service also used the building, but since then it has remained vacant and is in an advancing state of decay.

It is soul destroying for the people of Castleblayney to see this iconic building in the heart of their town decay to this current condition. In recent weeks, Monaghan County Council has found it necessary to cordon off the building and surrounding area after engineers found that an internal wall had collapsed. Investigations are ongoing to determine the structural integrity of the building. The council has engaged a structural engineer to prepare measures that would stabilise the walls of the Market House and protect the public. Interim measures under design provide for a heavy steel bracing to support the external walls and prevent the potential collapse of the building onto the public footpath. The estimated cost is €250,000.

On the footpath outside the building, there is a statute of the late great Tom McBride, which was installed only last year, when President Higgins came to the town for the day, which was very successful. I am glad to report that the Big Tom statue has proved a great tourist attraction for the town which has benefited from increased numbers of visitors who have come to see it. Unfortunately, there are reports that the Big Tom statue may have to be relocated because the Market House is in such an unstable condition. I have been contacted by many business owners, traders, residents and the community at large who have voiced their concerns about the situation. Unfortunately, a knock-on effect is that car parking has been restricted around the building which has affected businesses because of the loss of footfall. Businesses are losing money. Castleblayney has many fine attractions, including Lough Muckno which has seen it called the Killarney of the north. It is important that we promote and maintain its attractions as best we can.

Sadly, protected status in this country means very little. Heritage grants are meagre and go no way to retaining buildings. Many of our structures are neglected and are allowed to deteriorate and rot, as in this case when the building is about to fall onto a public highway. However, this is not just about a neglected building in Castleblayney. It has a serious knock-on effect on the town's business life. Funding must be allocated so that the building can be used by the people of Castleblayney. There have been suggestions locally that due to the huge popularity of the Big Tom statue, and more people coming to the town, that the statue may have to be relocated.This is an emergency situation that needs emergency funding from the Government to restore this building to its former glory so it can be utilised for the people of Castleblayney, perhaps for a Big Tom visitor centre that will add another visitor attraction to the area. My message is that this has come to a critical state and funding needs to be allocated so this building can be brought back to life.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising the matter. I am sorry to hear of the concerns over the Big Tom statue because I know it was only recently installed in Castleblayney. I saw the television footage of the crowd and of the President attending its unveiling.

The Market House at Castleblayney is a well-known building in Castleblayney's historic town centre which will be familiar to many people. The building is in the ownership and management of Monaghan County Council. It was recorded in my Department's national inventory of architectural heritage and is rated there as of regional importance. As such, it was recommended to Monaghan County Council for inclusion in its record of protected structures and it is a protected structure within the meaning of the Planning and Development Acts.

The role of the Minister with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners. Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including particular structures on their record of protected structures. Inclusion on the record of protected structures places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with development proposals affecting them and to seek to safeguard their future.

Under section 59 of the Planning and Development Acts, the Minister has no power to serve endangerment notices on protected structures as this is a reserved function of the local authority. As the owner of this protected structure, Monaghan County Council has a duty under section 58 of the Acts to ensure the structure does not become endangered. I am informed there is considerable work under way by the county council to identify a course of action that would see the Market House saved and protected into the future. I understand this will require a very significant investment.

In terms of the support the Minister can offer, her role in regard to protected structures is mainly advisory. The national inventory of architectural heritage in my Department identifies, records and evaluates the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland as an aid to its protection and conservation. The Minister recommends structures rated as being of regional importance or above to the planning authorities for inclusion on their record of protected structures. However, the making of an addition to, or a deletion from, a record of protected structures remains a reserved function of the relevant planning authority.

My Department's architectural heritage advisory unit provides advice and support to owners dealing with protected structures and, as in the past, this service remains always available to Monaghan County Council should it find it would be of assistance. My Department also provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through the historic structures fund and the built heritage investment scheme, which are administered by local authorities. This year, I have allocated €4.3 million in total to these schemes. I understand the scale of investment needed for the Market House would mean that the levels of grant funding available under these schemes might not be sufficient and that the local authority intends to seek funding from other sources.

The Minister provided funding of €1 million in 2018 and again in 2019 for the historic towns initiative, which is a joint initiative of my Department and the Heritage Council. The historic towns initiative supported six historic towns in 2018 in carrying out significant heritage regeneration projects. I understand that Monaghan County Council applied for and was granted €140,000 in funding under the historic towns initiative in 2018 for works to the Market House in Castleblayney to commence the process of stabilising the building, but the application was later withdrawn by the local authority because of its growing appreciation of the scale of the works needed to this building and the likelihood, therefore, that the funding awarded would not have made a significant difference to the future of the building, which needs a much larger scale intervention.

In terms of future funding, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018-2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of €1.2 billion over the next ten years, which will include increased investment in protecting and celebrating our built heritage across the country. More details on the commencement and completion dates for projects and programmes, as well as the timing of the expenditure in regard to them, will emerge as we go through the process of appraisal and planning as required under the public spending code.

My Department is aware of the significance of this building and its position in the town of Castleblayney. My officials remain available to assist Monaghan County Council in any way possible with its efforts to manage the building and see it returned to a sustainable use that is consistent with its significant history and position in the town. It remains open to Monaghan County Council to apply for funding under any of the built heritage grant schemes that it would find suitable for supporting the various phases of the project, once a plan for the sustainable future of the building has been identified by the local authority.

With regard to Castleblayney, I also welcome the allocation to Monaghan County Council from the Department of Rural and Community Development, under Deputy Ring. That Department's rural regeneration development fund, category 1, grant for Castleblayney enterprise centre, comprises some €2.41 million for a disused site adjacent to Castleblayney town centre, given the great potential this brings to the town.Perhaps Monaghan County Council has plans to seek funding under the rural scheme, which has a €1 billion fund over ten years. It is now in its second year. I am sure the Senator will liaise with his colleagues on the local authority to see whether Monaghan County Council would be interested in applying for the fund. I cannot pre-empt a grant of funding but making an application to the Department of Rural and Community Development may be a route the local authority could go down.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. Unfortunately, I take no solace from its contents. To put this in context, the Minister of State mentioned a national figure of €4.3 million for protected structures. At present, figures are circulating that restoring the Market House to its former glory would cost more than €6 million. If the building were to be removed and built back up again it would cost between €3.5 million and €4 million. These figures outline the seriousness of the problem. The funding allocated for protected structures, with all due respect, is totally inadequate not just with regard to this building but for protected structures throughout the country. This is something of which the Government needs to take cognisance. This is a serious issue for the economic well-being of a small Border town such as Castleblaney. I ask that the Government opens its doors to potential funding so the issue can be addressed and the lives of the people of Castleblaney can get back to normal. They are on hold at present and it will take emergency funding for the Market House to be restored.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As I stated, I am speaking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Madigan, and I know the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is acutely aware of the historic nature and significance of the Market House in Castleblaney. I am not here to speak on behalf of Monaghan County Council or to comment on matters that are part of the local authority's reserved functions, but I know the local authority owns the building and is responsible for its care. It is acutely aware of the position and is working to identify solutions. The Minister and the Department are ready to offer advice, support and assistance to the local authority. There may be other routes the local authority can take on the project, and I urge the Senator to liaise with it. As I have stated, the Minister, Deputy Madigan, will be free to discuss the matter with the Senator at some stage.