Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
896. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding an application for assistance provisions of the local authority conservation grant scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and when payment will issue from his Department in view of the fact that the application has been deemed to be successful. [38714/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom 2003 to 2010, my Department provided funding under the Local Authority Conservation Grants Scheme for the conservation of structures protected under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2010. The scheme was administered by the local authorities and operated on an annual basis, subject to Exchequer funding being available. It was a matter for each local authority to assess and prioritise applications under the scheme.
In 2010 my Department provided €185,500 in funding to Limerick County Council under the Local Authority Conservation Grants Scheme. I understand that €7,000 of this amount was provided for the preparation of a conservation study relating to the case referred to by the Deputy.
In 2011, due to budgetary constraints, the Local Authority Conservation Grants Scheme was replaced by a more limited Structures at Risk Fund to assist with works to those protected structures deemed most at risk. This fund is also being administered by local authorities.
The allocation for this fund in 2012 is fully committed with 27 local authorities having been issued with, and accepted, grant offers for a total of 41 projects under the fund. I am advised there is no record of an application for the case referred to by the Deputy being submitted to my Department by Limerick County Council under the Structures at Risk Fund in 2011 or 2012. In these circumstances, the Deputy may wish to make further queries directly with Limerick County Council.
