Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has agreed to include items in a list (details supplied); and the reason he has included so many items from this location. [43448/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority is required, for the purpose of protecting structures, or parts of structures which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest, to include in its development plan a Record of Protected Structures (RPS) for its functional area. This may be done at the time of the preparation of the development plan or, where appropriate, at any other time.

The Act enables me, as Minister, to make recommendations to a planning authority concerning the inclusion of specific structures in its Record of Protected Structures, and a planning authority must have regard to any such recommendations. The making of an addition to, or deletion from, a Record of Protected Structures is a reserved function of the planning authorities.

In July 2008 I made recommendations to Cork County Council concerning the inclusion of specific structures in Mitchelstown in the Council's Record of Protected Structures. My recommendations were based on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) survey of North Cork. This survey, the structures included in which are objectively recorded and rated in accordance with international guidelines, is available on www.buildingsofireland.ie. Inclusion of a property on a Record of Protected Structures does not imply a prohibition on works and/or development in the future. In addition, the Local Authorities Conservation Grant Scheme may be availed of to provide grant assistance for the conservation of buildings on a local authority's Record of Protected Structures. The scheme is administered by the local authorities on behalf of my Department.