Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to take action to ensure the protection of No. 16 Moore Street following a consultants' report recommending that the property be added to the record of protected structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5324/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the replies to Question No. 413 of 12 October 2005, Question No. 637 of 25 October 2005 and Question No. 111 of 29 November 2005.

Statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for the planning authorities to whom my Department provides advice in the exercise of their functions in that regard under the Planning and Development Act 2000. On 25 August 2005, I recommended to Dublin City Council in accordance with section 53 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 that No. 16 Moore Street should be added to its record of protected structures, RPS, because of its historical and architectural interest. I understand that Dublin City Council then commissioned a report to determine the historical and architectural significance of the building and that the report was completed in November 2005 and circulated to the city council members for discussion at their December 2005 meeting. On 5 December 2005, Dublin City councillors unanimously decided to place No. 16 Moore Street on the RPS. The council also decided to add the buildings beside No. 16, at Nos. 14, 15 and 17 Moore Street to the RPS. I greatly welcome this step. I also understand that the city council made arrangements for the owners to carry out essential repairs to the roof of the premises to ensure the essential fabric of the structure is protected while appropriate decisions were taken. I also welcome these actions.

I am satisfied that the use of the Planning Acts, together with the city council acting proactively and in a vigilant manner to ensure the status of the building once it is formally proposed for inclusion on the record of protected structures, will be sufficient to ensure its protection. The Planning Acts were modernised recently to empower local authorities to protect our built heritage, and I intend to continue to allow the council to exercise its powers responsibly on this basis.