Heritage Trust to 'wow us', says Roche

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has defended a cap on the limit of tax concessions which will apply to the new Irish Heritage Trust, launched yesterday.

The Minister also defended the absence of any input from An Taisce, which styles itself "The National Trust for Ireland" and which has a history of acquiring heritage properties for conservation.

In Russborough House, Co Wicklow, yesterday, Mr Roche said the limit of €6 million in tax concessions for donations would not hamper the Heritage Trust's ability to acquire significant properties. Each property would be the subject of an individual deal and in some instances, individual donors might want to remain living in the properties when they transferred to State ownership.

Mr Roche was supported by Samantha Leslie of Castle Leslie, Co Monaghan, who said she began her restoration of the family castle in the early 1990s with €6,300 (£5,000), which was the proceeds of the sale of her father's car, and matching grant funding. The minister said the restoration was a demonstration of what could be matched by the trust but he refused to name any of the heritage properties earmarked for acquisition, saying he did not doubt the ability of the Heritage Trust "to wow us all" in the future.

However, the chairman of An Taisce, Frank Corcoran, said he was surprised that Mr Roche had chosen to overlook its expertise. Mr Corcoran said An Taisce was the Irish national trust by dint of having been actively involved in heritage protection. It also had considerable international experience through its involvement with the Celtic National Trust forum, a gathering of national trusts from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales. "I am surprised he decided not to use the experience of the National Trust Forum," he said.

Mr Roche said there were a lot of organisations "keen to be involved in the Irish Heritage Trust and not all could be".

Sir David Davies, the chairman of the Irish Heritage Trust, who was instrumental in commissioning the study which led to its creation, thanked Mr Roche for responding to heritage issues.

The study, A future for Irish Historic Houses? A study of 50 houses, assessed 25 houses in the ownership of original commissioning families; 12 houses which were owned by the State or local government; seven houses owned by organisations or institutions and six houses owned by private families who were not the original families for whom the houses were built.

The 25 houses in ownership of original families were: Ballinlough, Co Westmeath; Bantry, Co Cork; Barmeath, Co Louth; Beaulieu, Co Louth; Birr, Co Offaly; Borris, Co Carlow; Castle Leslie, Co Monaghan; Clonalis, Co Roscommon; Curraghmore, Co Waterford; Dunsaney, Co Meath; Enniscoe, Co Mayo; Glin, Co Limerick; Hamwood, Co Meath; Hilton Park, Co Monaghan; Killadoon, Co Kildare; Kilruddery, Co Wicklow; Lambay, Co Dublin; Lissadell, Co Sligo; Lismore, Co Waterford; Mount Ievers, Co Clare; Slane, Co Meath; Stradbally Hall, Co Laois; Temple House, Co Sligo; Tullynally, Co Westmeath; Westport, Co Mayo.

The six houses in new private ownership were: Abbeyleix, Co Laois; Ballyfin, Co Laois; Bellamount Forrest, Co Cavan; Ledwithstown, Co Longford; Luggala, Co Wicklow, and Strokestown Park, Co Roscommon.

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