Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 May 2018
34. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the schemes available to support built heritage projects in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19983/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners.
Financial support for the protection of architectural heritage is provided by my Department through a number of schemes. These schemes are administered via the local authorities.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme is a scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures (i.e. structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures). The Scheme is designed to leverage private capital for investment in a significant number of labour-intensive, small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled and experienced conservation professionals, craftspeople and tradespersons in the repair of the historic built environment. €2m has been provided for the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2018. 370 projects have been approved for funding, including five projects in County Louth with aggregate grant aid of €50,000.
The Structures at Risk Fund enables conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership, which are protected under the Planning and Development Acts and are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. €1,324,000 has been provided for the Structures at Risk Fund 2018. 76 projects across the country have been approved for funding, including four projects in County Louth aggregating €120,000 in grant aid.
Details of all projects funded under both schemes are available on my Department’s website and all local authority websites. While the closing date for the 2018 schemes has now passed, my Department remains in contact with local authorities throughout the year to ensure the best use of funding, including by reallocating unused funding where, for example, projects do not go ahead.
My Department has provided €350,000 of funding to the OPW in 2018 to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership. My Department’s National Monuments Service also works in close collaboration with the OPW on survey, excavation and research work to optimise the protection, management, interpretation and presentation of national monuments in State care.
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 annually, having regard to competing priorities for limited resources. Grant schemes for 2018 are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
In terms of funding for future years, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of close to €1.3 billion in funding over the next 10 years. In addition to many other significant initiatives, 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.
