Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, with regard to his Department's observation in respect of protected structures, an official from his Department actually inspects protected structures before making observations in respect of planning applications on them; the way, in the event of them not carrying out an inspection, inspectors from his Department are in a position to make accurate comments in respect of a structure, in view of the fact that the reports available to them may well have been written a number of years earlier, when properties may have been in a totally different state of repair; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13002/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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As indicated in the reply to Question No. 423 on today's Order Paper, statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for each planning authority in the exercise of its functions under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under the provisions of the Act, each planning authority is required to include in its development plan a Record of Protected Structures (RPS) for its functional area for the purpose of protecting structures, or parts of structures, which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest.

Planning applications in respect of buildings on the RPS which are forwarded to my Department by planning authorities are required to contain all the necessary information to enable my officials to make an assessment of the proposal. Under Section 23 (2) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, the onus is on the applicant to ensure that all relevant and up to date material, surveys, etc., are made available when submitting her/his application to the planning authority. Chapter 6 of my Department's Architectural Protection Guidelines to Planning Authorities also sets out the documentation necessary when submitting a planning application. As well as assessing the documentation submitted, my Department determines the need to inspect the structure(s) in question on a case by case basis.