Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2018
74. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the supports provided for the preservation of built heritage in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39451/18]
View answerMy Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through a number of schemes which are generally administered by local authorities.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a scheme for the repair and conservation of structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures. It is designed to leverage private capital for investment in small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled conservation professionals. I have allocated funding of €2m in total for this Scheme in 2018. In 2017 and 2018, a total of €120,214 was provided in grant aid under this scheme for 22 projects in County Sligo.
The Structures at Risk Fund enables conservation works to heritage structures, in both private and public ownership, which are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. I have allocated €1.3m for the Structures at Risk Fund in 2018. In 2017 and 2018 a total of €75,000 was awarded under this fund to 4 projects in County Sligo.
Details of the projects approved under both funding schemes are published on my Department’s website and local authority websites.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports. Grant schemes for 2018 are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
In terms of future funding, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of €1.2 billion in funding for my Department over the next 10 years, as part of Project Ireland 2040. This plan will see increased investment in protecting and celebrating our built heritage across the country. More details on the commencement and completion dates for projects and programmes, as well as the timing of the expenditure in relation to them, will emerge as we go through the process of appraisal and planning as required under the Public Spending Code.
