Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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316. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will review the grant allocation to local authorities under the built heritage investment scheme to ensure that the allocations to each local authority are fair and equitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1071/21]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is one of two capital funding schemes for built heritage run by my Department. It is administered by the local authorities and funds hundreds of small-scale, labour-intensive works at protected structures across the country, carried out by skilled heritage craftspeople, every year. The allocation for the BHIS in 2021 is €3 million.

The annual funding allocated to each City and County Council under the BHIS is based on the number of protected structures in the geographical area of that local authority, having regard to the population of that area on a ratio of 80/20 pro-rata. Where a local authority underspends in a particular year, that money can be reallocated to another local authority, ensuring that funding is directed to where it is most needed.

The method of allocating funds has been in place since the start of the scheme and with its predecessor, the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme. The operation of the scheme is kept under review and the method of allocating funds will be among the matters to be considered in the next review, which is due to take place this summer.