Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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204. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which she and her Department continue to identify, protect and promote buildings and sites of a historical and architectural nature with a view to ensuring the maximisation of value for the national image and consequent economic benefit through tourism, education and community participation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31408/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My role, as Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage, is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the role of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners as regards heritage assets. Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, provides for the protection of architectural heritage.

The Act gives primary responsibility to planning authorities to identify and protect the architectural heritage by including relevant 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 National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, administered by my Department, seeks to identify, record, and evaluate the post-1700 architectural heritage of Ireland, uniformly and consistently as an aid in the protection and conservation of the built heritage. As Minister, I recommend structures rated as being of regional importance or above to the planning authorities for inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures. However, the making of an addition to, or a deletion from, a Record of Protected Structures is a reserved function of the relevant planning authorities.

The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, supports a wide range of programmes and initiatives which have a considerable impact in terms of heritage conservation, promotion and raising local community awareness. These includes schemes like the Heritage Management Grants scheme for the protection and preservation of the built heritage, support for heritage education through the Heritage in Schools Programme and the new heritage tourism trail on the Wild Atlantic Way. Further information on this work is available on their website www.heritagecouncil.ie.

There are a number of ways in which my Department acts in respect of possible heritage sites/buildings deemed to be at risk. Financial support has been provided by my Department through a number of structured schemes for the repair, conservation, preservation or safeguarding of protected structures, sites or monuments. Such schemes are administered through the local authorities.

The Structures at Risk Fund seeks to encourage the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and to help to secure the preservation of protected structures, in both private and public ownership, which might otherwise be lost.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) was developed to assist with the repair and conservation of structures that are protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). In certain cases, the scheme is also available for the conservation of structures within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) where, in the opinion of the local authority, a need for works to enhance the character and appearance of an ACA has arisen and has been demonstrated.

My Department also has measures at its disposal to facilitate the maintenance and restoration of major historical or cultural sites. Under the provisions of the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014, my Department has established and maintains the Record of Monuments and Places, which affords legal protection to over 120,000 recorded archaeological sites and monuments in the State.

As Minister, I am the owner or guardian under the National Monuments Acts of approximately 1,000 national monuments located at approximately 750 sites and in such cases there is a statutory duty to maintain the national monument. Such maintenance is undertaken by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Local authorities are responsible under the National Monuments Acts for maintaining the national monuments of which they are owners or guardians.

My Department is also providing €350,000 of funding to the OPW in 2016 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership.