Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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1673. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Killagh Priory, Milltown, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31133/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the monument in question is in the ownership of Kerry County Council which is, therefore, responsible for its maintenance. Consent under the National Monuments Acts was given to the Council by my Department in 2010 for urgent stabilisation works as a precursor to a more substantial conservation programme. I understand that a conservation plan was subsequently commissioned by the Council in 2011 which outlined the range and criticality of the interventions considered necessary at that stage.

Funding is provided by my Department through a number of schemes for the conservation and protection of heritage buildings. This funding is either directly administered or delivered through local authorities and certain agencies. On 9 February last, I announced an allocation of €624,000 for the Structures at Risk Fund 2015,to enable conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts 2000, as amended, and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. This Fund, which is being administered through the local authorities, encourages the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and helps to secure the preservation of protected structures, which might otherwise be lost. The Fund, which is now closed, was open to two applications per local authority, of which only one application may be in respect of a publicly-owned building. It is primarily a matter for the local authority to nominate its two applications. Since 2011, in excess of 130 structures have been safeguarded for the future as a result of the Structures at Risk Fund. The operation of a similar scheme in the future would be contingent on dedicated funding being made available to my Department.

The remainder of my Department’s built heritage capital budget for 2015 is focused on the conservation and presentation of the State's heritage portfolio, which is managed by the Office of Public Works.

The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. For 2015 the Council administered a community based heritage grants scheme with funding of €547,000 available for projects that contribute to particular heritage themes. While I understand that applications have closed for their 2015 scheme, the Council may be able to advise if the structure would be eligible for funding now or in the future. The Heritage Council’s website is .