Minister For Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Powers and Functions) Act, 1998

Functions of Minister in relation to property ancillary to other functions, etc.

5.—(1) It shall be and be deemed always to have been a function of the Minister, for the purposes of or as necessary or expedient for the performance of any function of the Minister under this or any other enactment or otherwise conferred on him or her—

(a) to acquire, create, hold, maintain and dispose of—

(i) land (including an inland waterway) and interests in or rights over land, or

(ii) other property (including intellectual property) of any kind and interests in or rights over such other property,

for use by the Minister in the performance of his or her functions under this or any other enactment or otherwise so conferred,

(b) either alone or jointly with any other person or body (including a State authority within the meaning of the State Authorities (Development and Management) Act, 1993 ), to manage, develop, maintain, repair, improve, alter, enlarge, reduce in size, demolish, remove or otherwise deal with—

(i) buildings or structures or other works or property on, in, under or over any such land referred to in paragraph (a)(i) of this subsection, or

(ii) other property referred to in paragraph (a)(ii) of this subsection or associated with the Minister's functions,

(c) to procure the performance or exercise by another person on behalf of the Minister, on and subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister may determine, of a function mentioned in paragraph (b) of this subsection, and

(d) to provide financial assistance to any person or body, including a public authority, in respect of any matter related to the performance of the Minister's functions, as the Minister considers desirable.

(2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be construed as conferring on a person (other than the Minister) or body a function that the person or body does not otherwise have.

(3) A function referred to in this section is not in substitution for any other function the Minister had immediately before the passing of this Act.

(4) In this section, “public authority” has the same meaning as in the Heritage Act, 1995 .