Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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476. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures she will take to ensure that Westport House and its contents remain open to the public; the discussions that have taken place with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to consider acquiring the estate and its contents for the benefit of the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37477/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As Minister, I am fully aware of the cultural and economic importance of the institution in County Mayo referred to by the Deputy and of the threat to its future. In the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage for the county, the related building is rated of ‘ national’significance.

In recognition of that significance, conservation works have been undertaken in recent years to the building with public funding support in the region of €2m being channelled through the Heritage Council. This was directed at the vital re-roofing works necessary to secure the survival of the fabric of the asset.

I understand that the House in question has now been offered for sale by the owners and that negotiations are underway with interested parties. As Minister, I have no role in this as it is a commercial matter between the owners of the property and parties interested in the purchase.

I am also aware of the general risk to the sustainable future of the remaining stock of large Irish Historic Houses, where owners have consistently struggled throughout the last century to find sustainable alternative means of meeting the on-going costs of their maintenance.

I am prepared to work closely with the owners of such properties and to support them to the extent feasible to allow these properties to remain open to the public. In February 2015, I approved the establishment of an Irish Historic Houses Committee, with representatives from relevant Government Departments, the Irish Historic Houses Association (a representative body for Historic House owners), Fáilte Ireland, relevant non-governmental organisations and a number of individual house owners. My Department has now concluded and published an Action Plan in this regard, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Irish Historic Houses Association.

As the Deputy can appreciate, the scope for funding for the conservation of the built heritage is currently constrained by the significant reduction in the public finances. Nonetheless, funding for the protection of built heritage continues to be provided by my Department in 2016 via a number of schemes, which are either directly administered or delivered through local authorities or through the Heritage Council. The remainder of my Department’s built heritage capital budget for 2016 is focused on the conservation and presentation of the State's heritage portfolio, which is managed by the Office of Public Works.