Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 500: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has given consideration to buying the former Stella Cinema in Rathmines with a view to reinstating it as a model of the old architectural style of cinemas of Dublin; the discussions his Department have had with regards to preserving this type of cinema in Dublin or throughout the country in view of their rapid demolition and replacement with multiplexes. [12218/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for planning authorities to whom my Department provides advice in the exercise of their functions in that regard under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under the provisions of the Act, each planning authority shall for the purpose of protecting structures or parts of structures which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest include in its development plan a record of such protected structures within its functional area. Inclusion in the record of protected structures places a duty of care on the owners of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers not only to deal with development proposals affecting them, but also to seek to safeguard their future.

The purpose of the national inventory of architectural heritage, NIAH, being prepared under the Architectural Heritage (National Inventory) and Historic Monuments (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1999 is to identify, record and evaluate the country's post-1700 architectural heritage uniformly and consistently. Each NIAH survey undertaken by my Department within a particular local authority's jurisdiction provides the basis for recommendations under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to planning authorities for the inclusion of particular structures in the record of protected structures in their development plan. The decision to include structures, including that referred to in the question, in the record of protected structures rests with the local elected representatives. The purchase of the former Stella Cinema in Rathmines, Dublin, is not under consideration in my Department.