Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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459. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will establish a heritage buildings commission with responsibility for the listing of buildings of special architectural or historic interest here which are at risk (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37156/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My role, as Minister, 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. As Minister, I draw on information provided by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, maintained by my Department, to recommend structures for inclusion on the Record of Protected Structures. However, the final decision is a reserved function of the planning authority.

Under Section 54 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, a planning authority may add to or delete from its Record of Protected Structures, a structure, a specified part of a structure or a specified feature of the attendant grounds of a structure. Such a structure, specified part of a structure, or specified feature remains on the Record of Protected Structures until such time as the planning authority deletes it. Provision is made in the Act for the carrying out of works to protected structures either by way of planning permission or on the foot of a declaration received from a planning authority that certain works that would not materially affect the character of a structure are exempted development. There is a duty of owners and occupiers to protect structures from endangerment. Where structures become endangered or unauthorised development has been or is being carried out, the planning authority has the powers to take appropriate action.

There is a number of ways in which my Department acts in respect of possible heritage sites/buildings deemed to be at risk. One of these is the receipt of applications for funding for the repair, conservation, preservation or safeguarding of protected structures, sites or monuments. Financial support is being provided by my Department through a number of structured schemes for the conservation and protection of heritage buildings, such as the Structures at Risk Fund and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme.

I do not consider that any useful purpose would be served by the setting up of a commission to identify buildings at risk. The management of endangerment is a statutory function already undertaken by planning authorities. The publication of general lists of structures at risk might, in fact, have the adverse effect of drawing attention to the vulnerability of particular structures, which may be unsecured or inadequately secured and may typically contain valuable historic and artistically important fixtures and features, as well as lead, copper and other metals for which there is an illegal market.