Written answers

Thursday, 28 May 2015

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Departmental Schemes

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding or grant schemes that are available through her Department for renovations required to a cottage, which was originally constructed circa 1912; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21222/15]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy can appreciate, the scope for funding the conservation of heritage buildings is currently constrained by the significant reduction in the public finances. Funding for the protection of built heritage will continue to be provided by my Department in 2015 via a number of schemes, which will be either directly administered or delivered through local authorities and agencies.

Recently I announced the awarding of €624,000 in funding under the Structures at Risk Fund 2015,to enable conservation works to twenty-eight heritage structures throughout the country, in both private and public ownership, deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration and which are protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This Fund, which is being administered through the local authorities, encourages the regeneration and reuse of heritage properties and helps to secure the preservation of protected structures, which might otherwise be lost. The Fund was open to two applications per local authority, of which one application may be in respect of a privately-owned building. The amount of funding available per project was subject to a minimum level of €15,000 and a maximum level of €60,000. Since 2011, approximately 130 structures have been safeguarded for the future as a result of the Structures at Risk Fund.

The remainder of my Department’s built heritage capital budget for 2015 will be focused on the conservation and presentation of the State's heritage portfolio, which is managed by the Office of Public Works.

The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. The Council recently announced funding for 197 heritage projects its 2015 Community-based Heritage Grants Scheme totalling €547,000. The scheme, which supports the continuing conservation and development of Irish heritage through local community based groups, is expected to generate total investment of more than €1 million. The Heritage Council can be contacted at

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