Vol. 525 No. 5
343 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when funding will be made available for the completion of works at Portumna Castle, County Galway; and when work will recommence on the structure. [25831/00]
As the Deputy will be aware, a major programme of works involving the conservation and preservation of Portumna Castle and its demesne has been under way since 1989. This work is ongoing, with the remaining planned works scheduled to be completed in early 2001. With the completion of these works I am satisfied that my Department will have achieved its major objectives for the site, which were to provide for extended public access and an enhanced exhibition for visitors.
344 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if any recent examinations of Connolly's Folly, Maynooth, County Kildare have been undertaken with the objective of protecting the structure from further erosion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25845/00]
As I have already explained in my response on 11 October to Parliamentary Question No. 257, the most immediate priority in the Castletown Estate is the restoration of the house itself, and Connolly's Folly will have to wait until a later stage.
However, basic improvements, including fencing, have already been undertaken at the folly. A report on the history and condition of the folly was commissioned in 1998, and the situation is monitored on an ongoing basis. The architectural advice available to my Department is that the folly is not under immediate threat.
345 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands whether a register exists of all historical monuments, buildings, burial sites or other locations of historical and cultural interest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25846/00]
The Record of Monuments and Places – RMP – completed in 1998, lists approximately 120,000 monuments nationwide. The RMP for each county consists of Ordnance Survey constraint maps with an accompanying index, which shows the locations of monuments and places and a classification for these. The RMPs are publicly exhibited at various locations around each county such as local authority offices, county libraries, farm development services and Teagasc offices.
The Archaeological Survey of Ireland is involved in recording and interpreting our heritage of archaeological sites and monuments and in making the results available for publication. Sixteen volumes in the series of county inventories have been published to date, covering all or part of counties Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Galway, Laois, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow. These inventories are designed to be of interest to both scholars and general readers.
Under the provisions of the Architectural Heritage (National Inventory) and Historic Monuments (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1999, a nationwide survey is currently being carried out by my Department to help identify structures and buildings which are of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest. The Government is committed to completing all interim county surveys within the next two years and the complete national inventory within a period of 12 years.
