Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
83. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will open the next round the built heritage investment scheme for private property owners; and the amount of funding that will be allocated to this scheme. [69047/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder my Department, the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) provides two main grant schemes to support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures. These include capital grants for conservation works as well as financial assistance for owners to obtain conservation advice for their historic structures. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) are, in the main, administered by the local authorities.
The BHIS provides capital funding of between €2,500 and €50,000 for repair or conservation works to the following types of buildings:
Protected structures
Proposed protected structures
Structures in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)
Vernacular buildings
Under BHIS, each local authority receives an allocation of funds from my Department based on the proportion of structures on their Register of Protected Structures (RPS) when compared to the national total. Each local authority can award funding to eligible applications within their area that meet the terms and conditions of the BHIS circular. Within the BHIS separate ring-fenced funding is available for thatched buildings under the Historic Thatch Grant. The purpose of this scheme is to protect the heritage value of historic thatched roof buildings. Any historic thatched structure, including domestic or commercial, is eligible for this scheme.
The Historic Structures Fund provides capital funding of between €50,000 and €200,000 for works to qualifying structures which include the following:
Protected Structures: Structures in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) of each Local Authority;
Structures eligible for or proposed for inclusion in the RPS but not yet formally approved for inclusion.
Structures or works within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs), or within the amenity of a National Monument, where exceptional circumstances apply.
The window for application for both schemes is now open. The closing date for applications to local authorities is October 30, 2026 for the BHIS and HTB, and November 27, 2026 for the HSF.
My Department provides funding each year for a variety of programmes to encourage and support investment in built heritage, including the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and Historic Structure Fund (HSF). The funding available for these programmes in the current year was determined in Budget 2026.
This year there is €8.1m of funding under the BHIS. I am aware of the competitive nature of the BHIS grants and the high level of demand that there is for support of this type. I intend to continue to make the case for enhanced support for these structures in the upcoming Budget, bearing in mind of course the many competing priorities for government funding which exist.
