A new Irish Heritage Trust is to be established to acquire and protect important heritage buildings, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern announced this evening.
Speaking at a conference in Maynooth, Mr Ahern confirmed the formation of the new body and said it would be backed by €5.5 million of funding this year.
Mr Ahern said he was "confident that this [funding] will contribute to its early success. While the Trust will operate on the basis of existing "Charities" legislation, the Minister for Finance is currently considering, in the context of Budget 2006, additional tax incentives, both in relation to donations of heritage properties to the Trust and donations to endowment funds required for each property."
The full details of the structure and governance of the Trust will be announced later this year by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Me Ahern said that the trust would be independent and would be funded by a combination of private and corporate donations. The new body would also examine the use of membership fees.