Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
199. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applications from County Laois under the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the total value of grant-aid awarded; the supports available to ensure rural historic properties in County Laois can access the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66323/25]
View answer200. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the supports in place to help owners of historic structures in rural parts of County Laois apply for the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the number of such projects in the county that have been approved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66324/25]
View answer201. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any funding under the Historic Structures Fund 2026 has been allocated to Emo Court in Laois; the criteria applied to prioritise such nationally significant historic sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66325/25]
View answer202. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of applications received from County Laois under the Historic Structures Fund 2026; the total grant-aid awarded; whether any barriers to access in the county have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66326/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 200, 201 and 202 together.
The National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) within my Department provides financial support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF), which are both, in the main, administered by the local authorities.
The HSF is a nationally competitive scheme that operates on an annual basis, whereby applications for funding are made to the relevant local authority, and each local authority presents a shortlist of eligible applications for consideration to my Department. Each local authority may present up to three privately owned and three publicly owned structures for consideration. These projects then compete against each other for funding at a national level. The standard of conservation projects received is always very high and the scheme is always over-subscribed.
The application window for HSF 2026 was opened last month. Laois County Council has set a deadline of 16 January 2026 for applicants to submit the required documentation to them for consideration. Once they have been assessed by them, conservation officials within the Council will submit a number of applications up to the maximum allowable to my Department by 6 February. The NBHS undertakes an assessment of all projects submitted at a national level, and it is expected that the list of successful projects will be announced in March. Further information regarding successful projects within Laois for 2026 will be available at that point.
