Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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1604. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will examine establishing an expert committee in his Department to assess the condition of Dublin’s north Georgian core, including international best practice management structures and grant incentives for coordinated enhancement of private property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43141/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As set out in Part IV of the Planning and Development Act (2000), the planning authority - in this case Dublin City Council - has primary responsibility for the protection of architectural heritage within its functional area.

The mechanisms through which it can exercise this function include designating architectural conservation areas and protected structures, adding relevant objectives to development plans, and protecting character through the development control and enforcement processes. Planning authorities are supported in the exercise of these functions by my Department's National Built Heritage Service (NBHS).

Working with Dublin City Council, the NBHS has recently completed a survey of the condition of historic structures in Dublin's North Georgian Core. The NBHS is also funding Dublin City Council to undertake a research project to engage with key stakeholders in order to better understand the barriers to investment in conservation in the area.

Building on the findings of these initiatives, expert recommendations, and international experience, we will develop proposals to incentivise conservation-led investment in the north Georgian core, in line with Programme for Government commitments.

In regard to existing supports, several large projects within this area have received funding from my Department's Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF). These projects are as follows:

• Parnell Sq. Cultural Quarter Phase 1: URDF Allocation €60,443,467
• 15/16 Henrietta Street - Na Píobairí Uilleann - URDF Allocation €9,834,899
• Mountjoy Square Conservation Plan - URDF Allocation €2,726,25041
• Parnell Square - URDF Allocation €665,056
• 11 Parnell Square - URDF Allocation €3,862,500

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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1605. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the additional funding that has been sought and granted to local authorities to strengthen enforcement and protection of our built heritage, by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43142/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) within my Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are administered in the main by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF).

The BHIS provides grants of between €2,500 and €50,000 to help owners maintain, conserve, and re-use historic buildings. This year, some 650 projects were awarded funding totalling over €8 million under the scheme. The window for applications for the 2026 scheme opened last week.

The Historic Structures Fund provides similar grants at a larger scale, typically from €50,000 up to €200,000. This year 28 projects were awarded funding under HSF totalling over €3.5 million.

All applications for both HSF and BHIS are made to the relevant local authority.

BHIS funding is allocated to local authorities in proportion to the number of buildings each has included on its Record of Protected Structures. HSF funding is awarded based on the strength of the individual applications received, with no set amount allocated per local authority.

The following table shows the amount awarded under the 2025 schemes split by local authority:

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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1606. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department will support the establishing of a permanent built heritage enforcement unit in Dublin City Council using the precedent of the short lettings unit in DCC, staffed with accredited building conservation personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43144/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Our built heritage is an important public good, enhancing the character and amenity of our cities, towns, villages, and countryside, providing employment for skilled building professionals, and helping to abate our carbon emissions by reducing the need for new construction. In my view it is a matter of significant public interest that the provisions of the Planning and Development Act (2000) which protect our built heritage are appropriately enforced.

Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. Decisions regarding the structure of individual local authorities staffing arrangements are matters for the Chief Executive in each local authority.