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Minister Deenihan launches report on fiscal incentives for built heritage in Irish towns by Peter Bacon Economic Consultants
Wednesday, January 15th - Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan TD, today launched the report of Peter Bacon Economic Consultants: An assessment of Possible Fiscal Incentives in Relation to the Built Heritage in Irish Towns.
The Heritage Council, which is funded by the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, commissioned this report. The report is a welcome economic analysis of alternative methods of incentivising the protection and preservation of our historic town centres, many of which continue to suffer in terms of dereliction and under-use.
Minister Deenihan commented:
“The vibrancy of our historic urban centres is intrinsically linked to the protection of their built fabric. I am committed to forging a wider understanding of the concept of heritage led regeneration.
This report is a serious and welcome economic analysis of the various types of fiscal incentives possible for Irish towns – and is valuable input into the on-going process of formulating policy in this area.
2014 will be the year of the most significant investment in the built heritage since the current economic crises began. The new €5 million allocation for a Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme - which I announced recently - will allow for urgent repairs on heritage buildings the length and breadth of the country to take place. It will also incentivise jobs-rich investment in repair and maintenance of buildings – recognised as one of the most labour intensive areas of the construction industry.”