Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the initiatives in place to fully utilise the area of heritage to contribute to job creation. [27100/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's rich heritage has a key role to play in national economic recovery. My Department is currently promoting the role which Ireland's heritage has to play in making our country an attractive destination for sustainable tourism and inward investment, both in terms of the operation of Ireland's national parks and nature reserves, and in terms of our unique built heritage, which distinguishes us and which makes Ireland an attractive tourist location for both visitors and Irish people themselves. Cultural and heritage tourism is one of the most important elements of Ireland's tourism product, and heritage properties, including those in State care, are an important element of that attraction.

My Department provides some limited funding under a number of headings for investment in the built and natural heritage, and also supports the Heritage Council and the Irish Heritage Trust in their work in the heritage area. However, the scope to provide additional funding for the protection, conservation and development of the State's built heritage is constrained by the current national economic difficulties and the significant reduction in the public finances. My Department is therefore focusing on working creatively across Government and with partner bodies such as the Heritage Council, the Irish Heritage Trust, Fáilte Ireland, the LEADER Programme and other heritage interests in seeking to ensure that resources are directed towards the heritage sector. My Department will also continue to provide funding for the protection, conservation and development of our built and natural heritage, in so far as resources allow.

The recently published Heritage Council research document Economic Value of Ireland's Historic Environment provides comprehensive evidence-based data that support and enhance our innate understanding of the importance of our built heritage. I welcome publication of the report, which is a useful tool that complements the work of my Department and the findings of which will help to inform the development of the Government's heritage policy and related initiatives. The report indicates that capital investment in built heritage conservation provides significant employment in the construction industry and is of major benefit to the national economy. Such investment also assists in developing and maintaining specialised skills among conservation professionals and craftspeople.

In the context of the Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015, my Department is developing various policy actions which contribute to the protection and appropriate re-use of our built heritage and aim to deal with on-going challenges facing our architectural heritage, such as the adaptive re-use for historic properties and a forward plan-led approach to cultural heritage and urban design in our towns and cities. This will also assist in the maintaining of specialist jobs in the wider heritage sector and in particular the repair and maintenance industry.