Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on preserving and maintaining the listed buildings known as Blake's or Linnane's Corner in Ennistymon, County Clare; if he will support the proposal to move the buildings complete and intact on their site to allow both for the creation of a new and improved junction or if he will favour their destruction and reconstruction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34561/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority is required to include in its development plan a Record of Protected Structures. The structures known as Blake and Linnanes are included on the Record of Protected Structures for County Clare. Inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and gives planning authorities powers to deal with development proposals affecting them in order to safeguard their future.

Section 57(10)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 states that 'A planning authority, or the Board on appeal, shall not grant permission for the demolition of a protected structure or proposed protected structure, save in exceptional circumstances'.

My Department is in contact with Clare County Council and has previously advised that any proposal to demolish and rebuild these structures set back from the current building line is contrary to the thrust of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and would therefore require strong justification and a robust and detailed methodology that demonstrated that such an approach is both feasible and appropriate without any further loss of character than is absolutely necessary.

My Department has also advised the local authority that if the envisaged removal and set back were to proceed, a sustainable and suitable new use would have to be found for both structures that takes into account a potential increase in traffic along this corner.