Written answers

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs

Heritage Sites

8:00 pm

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps he is taking to make heritage protection grants available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12478/12]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Due to the current national economic difficulties and the significant reductions in the capital allocations provided to my Department, the resources available to me for the provision of grants for the protection of the built heritage are limited. However, my Department will continue to provide funding for the protection, conservation and development of our built heritage, insofar as resources allow.

In 2011, my Department provided €650,000 through a "Structures at Risk Fund" to assist with works to safeguard structures, both in private and civic ownership, protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This fund was administered by local authorities and was focused primarily on those protected structures most at risk. My Department also provided a further €1.25 million in capital assistance to the Office of Public Works in 2011 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic properties and national monuments in State care. I intend to provide an allocation for the Structures at Risk Fund and capital assistance to the OPW in 2012 and I will be notifying both the local authorities and the OPW of the details shortly.

My Department also provided funding of almost €7.5 million to support the work of the Heritage Council in 2011, which included €1.5 million made available from the Environment Fund. The Heritage Council supports a number of conservation grants schemes and my Department will be providing an allocation to the Council in order to assist these schemes in 2012.

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