Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason an application (details supplied) was unsuccessful under the Heritage Historic Structures Fund; if clarity will be provided on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19320/22]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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617. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason that an application (details supplied) was unsuccessful under the Historic Structures Fund; if clarity will be provided on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19507/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 617 together.

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 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 structures in question.

While further consideration cannot be given to unsuccessful applications, officials in my Department can, at the request of the relevant local authority, provide feedback in respect of an individual application should the applicant wish to re-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.