Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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278. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding allocated to date on a project (details supplied); the level of expenditure in 2021; the funding allocated for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19091/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The project referred to in the Question is a significant one and comprises three phases.

Phase 1 was completed in late 2019 and the expenditure on this phase was €3,200,000 between 2015 and 2019.

Delivery of Phase 2 involves total funding of c. €12,200,000 over a number of years. Expenditure for 2021 stood at €400,000. Funding allocated in 2022 is €6,000,000, with the balance of expenditure to take place in 2023 and 2024.

In relation to Phase 3, in 2021 the expenditure on this phase was c. €310,000. Funding of €1,000,000 has been allocated for preparatory work in this phase in 2022.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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279. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if further consideration will be given in 2022 to the allocation of funding for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19140/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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In November 2021 I announced €4m in funding for the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) 2022. The HSF is a competitive grant scheme for conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership. Grants of between €15,000 and €50,000 are available under Stream 1, and of between €50,000 and €200,000 under Stream 2.

Applications are made in the first instance to the local authorities, who send a shortlist to my Department for assessment by an expert panel which makes its recommendations to me for my final approval. Applications are assessed under a series of clearly-defined criteria, the details of which may be found in the HSF circular on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/32ae3-financial-assistance-for-architectural-heritage/.

Under HSF 2022, a total of 129 applications were received by my Department for assessment. While this year’s fund of €4m represents an increase of 33% on 2021, HSF2022 was heavily over-subscribed and it was unfortunately not possible to make awards to all applications that met the minimum assessment criteria. This includes the structure in question.

While further consideration cannot be given to unsuccessful applications, officials in my Department can, at the request of the local authority, provide feedback in respect of an individual application should the applicant wish to apply to the scheme again the following year. It is intended to run the HSF again in 2023 and details of the scheme will be made available this November.