The Government is to establish a national trust to secure the future of at least 50 great Irish houses, with tax breaks for business interests investing in them, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said at the weekend. Frank McDonald, Irish Times Environment Editor, reports.
Speaking to The Irish Times after introducing a report on the future of Ireland's historic houses, he said legislation to establish a national trust was "the only way we're going to keep these houses for future generations".
Mr Ahern said the details of how such a trust would operate were still being worked out, but he envisaged that a Bill to establish it would be ready by the end of next year. He stressed his own commitment to see it through.
The Taoiseach, who admitted that he had taken "a fair bit of personal hit" over his championship of the great houses, said it wasn't just a question of helping out their owners, but of supporting a wide range of community activities.
Referring to last week's Cabinet meeting at Emo Court, Co Laois, he spoke of "the huge number of passionate people involved in the walks, the gardens, bird-watchers and everything else, not just the owner of the house".
Mr Ahern said officials were looking at the Scottish National Trust model to safeguard the future of the remaining historic properties.
"We had something like 800 great houses in Ireland at one stage, and now it's down to about 70 or 72."
Unless steps were taken to protect the remainder, "we'd be down to 15 houses within 20 to 25 years", he warned.
"I really believe that would be a terrible loss to the country in the long term because these houses are part of our heritage." Given that many existing owners did not have enough money to maintain them, the Taoiseach said banks, insurance companies and others with taxable incomes would get tax breaks for investing in the restoration of great houses.
Asked whether he had any regrets about the State acquiring Farmleigh rather than a house under threat, such as Carton in Co Kildare, he said there was a real danger that the Farmleigh estate might otherwise have been sold off for housing.
Referring to some great houses becoming the linchpins for golf resorts, Mr Ahern said he did not mind them being turned into hotels if they were maintained. But he was opposed to overdevelopment that detracted from their setting.
He was speaking after the publication of A Future for Irish Historic Houses? by Dr Terence Dooley, a new report jointly sponsored by the Irish Georgian Society and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Threat to survival of great houses highlighted; Protection of State's historic buildings needs solid foundation: page 4