Written answers

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Architectural Heritage

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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11. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the supports that are available from his Department, and the contact he has had with the Department of Defence, to preserve the heritage that exists of a garrison community, unique in Ireland in the Curragh Camp which although under the Department of Defence contains much civilian history and is of national historical importance. [3952/14]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I understand that there are currently seven buildings in the Curragh Camp which are protected structures under Part IV of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012, which provides for the protection of architectural heritage. The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities, in this case Kildare County Council, to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including particular structures on the Record of Protected Structures.

Inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with development proposals affecting them and to seek to safeguard their future. The Curragh Camp is, of course, an operating military base of the Defence Forces.

The Defence Forces have access to general advice and guidelines published by my Department regarding conservation and maintenance of traditional buildings. The statutory Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities was reissued by my Department in 2011. These guidelines, which outline the general conservation principles that apply to protected structures and to historic structures in general, are available on my Department’s website at . In addition, my Department has published a series of advice books offering practical advice and guidance on various aspects of maintenance of traditional buildings. This advice series is also available on my Deportment's the website.

In relation to the wider heritage of the Curragh Camp, the Curragh Military Museum was awarded €15,000 by my Department under the Local and Regional Museum Scheme 2013 towards the cost of work on the conservation and interpretation of its Chester Beatty Arms Collection. I understand that the Heritage Council, which is funded by my Department, is also supporting the Curragh Military Museum in its expressed interest in joining the Museum Standards Programme of Ireland (MSPI). The MSPI is intended to raise the standard of care and curatorship in participating museums. The Curragh Military Museum is operated by the Defence Forces under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Defence.

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