Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The term “market town” has no legal effect but it is still used loosely to describe a town which functions or functioned historically as a commercial centre for a rural hinterland. All the towns given grants under the historic towns initiative could be described as market towns but this is not a criterion for funding. The grant circular suggests an indicative minimum population level of 1,500 inhabitants and asks local authority applications to set out various criteria such as the significance of the town and its heritage.

There are supports available for local authorities interested in applying for the initiative. Information is available from the Heritage Council and from its website. In the past, the Heritage Council has held well-attended workshops for local authority personnel who are interested in applying for the scheme. It is proposed to run similar events in the future. In November 2018, I announced €4.3 million in funding for the built heritage investment scheme and the historic structures fund in 2019. This scheme is for the repair and conservation of structures on local authority records of protected structures. There is also funding available from the Department of Rural and Community Development.

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