Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 July 2020
245. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding streams available for projects such as 15 Henrietta Street to develop their existing premises to their original state. [16489/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy role with regard to the 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.
My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). This year 450 heritage projects across every county in the country will benefit from a combined sum of over €4.3m under these schemes.
This funding will support the owners and custodians of historic and protected structures as they carry out hundreds of small-scale, labour-intensive projects to repair and safeguard our built heritage as well as providing vital support for local jobs in conservation, traditional skills and construction. Details of all projects approved for 2020 are published on my Department’s website as well as on each local authority website. However, given the scale of investment needed for larger projects, such as the one mentioned, it is likely that the levels of grant funding available under these schemes would not be sufficient.
In the context of a particular building or historic structure, the best advice is generally to contact the Heritage Officer or Architectural Conservation Officer in the local authority who is well placed to advise on the various types of funding available to assist with its renovation or conservation. The Deputy may be aware that Dublin City Council, in fact, purchased, rescued, stabilised and conserved No. 14 Henrietta Street, preserving it for generations to come. In September 2018, it opened to the public as a museum of tenement life allowing visitors to experience over 300 years of city life, from its grand Georgian beginnings to the tenement dwellings of its later years. It is, of course, situated next door to 15 Henrietta Street.
