Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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325. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of the 2025 budget for Historic Structure Fund that was spent in the first five months of 2025; and if he will provide corresponding figures for same period in the years of 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [33477/25]

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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326. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of the 2025 Budget for built heritage investment scheme that was spent in the first five months of 2025; if he will provide corresponding figures for the same period in the years of 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [33478/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 326 together.

The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) are the two main grant schemes provided by my Department for the repair and conservation of protected structures and certain other historic buildings. Both schemes are administered in the main by the local authorities with funding from the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS).

The BHIS provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 for a wide range of conservation works, while the HSF provides grants of between €50,000 and €200,000 for similar works at a larger scale. Earlier this year I announced funding of €8.1m for 650 projects under BHIS 2025 and over €3.5 million to 28 larger projects under HSF 2025 to help repair and protect historic buildings throughout the country.

Both these schemes are offered on an annual basis, with applications being made to local authorities in the first instance, prior to approval by my Department. Once funding offers are made to successful applicants at the beginning of each year, they must undertake and complete the works during the months prior to the closing dates for their relevant local authority. The local authority only approves and pays for these works upon their completion, and subsequently applies for recoupment of these funds from my Department every November. As such, Departmental funding for these schemes is drawn down by each local authority in November / December each year.