Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
602. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will overhaul the built heritage investment scheme run by his Department, in view of the fact that this year, very few vernacular buildings received grant funding, so that vernacular buildings would have their own particular grant scheme, similar to years up to and including 2025 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16682/26]
View answerThe Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is a funding scheme offered by my Department, in conjunction with the Local Authorities, for the repair and conservation of structures protected under the Planning and Development Acts. The Historic Structures Fund (HSF) operates on a similar model, and it invests essential capital into Ireland’s built heritage and helps owners and custodians of historic structures to safeguard them for the future benefit of communities and the public.
Until 2024 the maximum amount of funding which could be awarded under BHIS was €15,000 and was intended to support projects of ongoing maintenance or repair, or minor conservation works. In advance of the 2025 iterations of the schemes, both BHIS and HSF were substantially revised. As part of this revision, Stream 1 (including the Vernacular Structures Stream) were removed from HSF and works of this nature were permitted as qualifying works under BHIS. This change also involved increasing the maximum award available under BHIS to €50,000 in line with the amount that had previously been available under the old Stream 1 of the HSF. In January 2026, almost 700 buildings were awarded BHIS funding of over €8.1 million for this year.
While the new iteration no longer identifies dedicated funding for vernacular structures under a separate stream, the maximum award now available to vernacular structures has increased to €30,000, up from the previous limit of €10,000. Where a vernacular structure is also on the RPS or within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA), it is eligible for the maximum BHIS award of €50,000. Similarly, there is no longer a limit of one vernacular structure per local authority per year, meaning that local authorities may submit any number of such applications which they feel to be eligible and justified. Furthermore, many vernacular structures – specifically thatched properties – which lack statutory protection may also apply for ring-fenced funding in the form of the Historic Thatched Buildings (HTB) stream of BHIS, for which additional funding is available.
Of course, it remains the case that BHIS and HSF are both extremely competitive funding schemes requiring strong applications to be successful, while initial assessment of both eligibility and application quality rest, in the first instance, with the relevant local authorities.
As part of this process, Architectural Conservation Officers (ACOs) and Heritage Officers within local authorities are available to assist owners and conservation professionals in making applications, providing advice and guidance to ensure all relevant criteria are met in terms of eligibility and the required supporting documentation. I would therefore encourage owners of vernacular structures who may be interested in applying to BHIS to consult closely with their local authority’s heritage team.
Finally, with regard to a suggested overhaul of BHIS, while I have no plans to make changes to the scheme at this time, the operation of both BHIS and HSF is kept under ongoing review with a view to ensuring the best possible outcomes for built heritage.
