Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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My Department, through the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS), provides direct financial assistance for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS).

The HSF is for conservation of heritage structures and historic buildings, in both private and public ownership, for the benefit of communities and the public. The BHIS is a scheme for the repair and conservation of structures on the local authority Record of Protected Structures (RPS). This year these schemes have a combined budget of €9 million, with some 676 heritage projects having received approval.

Through the National Monuments Service, my Department also offers the Community Monuments Fund (CMF) for the protection and conservation of archaeological sites. The CMF is intended to help the owners and custodians of archaeological monuments to safeguard them into the future for the benefit of communities and the public.

In 2024 the CMF has committed an investment of over €7m in the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of 140 archaeological monuments.