On this page we have given answers to some questions you may have as the owner or prospective owner of a protected structure. The Q&A is a helpful guide to protected structures, refurbishing protected structures, and repurposing protected structures for residential use. If you have a question we haven’t answered on this page, please get in touch via email at niah@housing.gov.ie, and we add it to the conversation.
A building is a protected structure only when it has been formally placed on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) in the relevant local authority’s development plan. A building may have a level of protection if it is included in a designated Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) in the relevant local authority’s development plan.
The RPS is usually available on the relevant local authority website as an appendix of the development plan. The development plan will also include, if applicable, designated ACAs and the objectives and policies the local authority has in place to preserve the character of such areas.
A proposed protected structure is a structure whose owner or occupier has received notification of the intention of the local authority to include it on the RPS. The details of proposed protected structures are usually available on the relevant local authority website.
The inclusion of your building in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) Building Survey does not necessarily mean it is a protected structure. Under Section 53 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, all sites in the NIAH Building Survey are recommended by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to the elected members of the relevant local authority for their consideration for inclusion on the RPS. The inclusion of structures on the RPS is a reserved function of the elected members who may decide to exclude structures recommended by the Minister. A structure is protected only when it has been formally included on the RPS.
Your local Architectural Conservation Officer (ACO) will be happy to advise you if your building is a protected structure, a proposed protected structure, if the elected members have considered a Ministerial Recommendation made in respect of it and decided to exclude it from the RPS, or if the elected members have yet to consider a Ministerial Recommendation made in respect of it. Your ACO will also be able to advise you if your building is included in an Architectural Conservation Area. The contact details for all ACOs are listed below. You should contact your Planning Department directly if your local authority does not employ an ACO.
Where a structure is protected, the protection includes the structure, its interior, the land within its curtilage and all other structures within that curtilage unless expressly stated otherwise by the local authority when placing it on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS). Works which are normally exempt from the requirement of planning permission are not exempted development where they would materially affect the character of a protected structure or any element of it which contributes to its special interest. All works which would materially affect the character of the protected structure, or proposed protected structure, will require planning permission.
Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 allows the owner or occupier of a protected structure to make a written request to the local authority for a declaration setting out, in writing, those works it considers would materially affect its character, and therefore require planning permission, and those works which may be carried out as exempted development.
The Section 57 Declaration is a free service offered by the local authority. It is not necessary for the applicant to have any specific works in mind when applying for a Section 57 Declaration.
Individuals or parties contemplating purchasing a protected structure are not eligible to apply for a Section 57 Declaration but may request, through their agent, that the vendor makes an application for a Section 57 Declaration so that they, and any other prospective purchaser, are fully aware of their undertaking.
The owner or occupier of a proposed protected structure cannot apply for a Section 57 Declaration but may be given informal guidance on exempted development issues. The owner or occupier of a structure within an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) is not entitled to apply for a Section 57 Declaration unless the structure is a protected structure in addition to being located within an ACA.
If the owner or occupier is contemplating major works to a protected structure, such as an extension, pre-planning consultation with the local authority may be advisable and, depending on the outcome of that consultation, the submission of a planning application. Pre-planning consultations are only available to individuals or parties who have a legal interest in the site of the proposed development, that is the owner, and others, including individuals or parties contemplating purchasing the site, must obtain a letter from the owner consenting to the pre-planning consultation.
Your local Architectural Conservation Officer (ACO) will be happy to give you informal advice on your protected structure before advising whether you should apply for a Section 57 Declaration or request a pre-planning consultation. The contact details for all ACOs are listed below. You should contact your Planning Department directly if your local authority does not employ an ACO.
Financial assistance for the conservation and repair of protected structures, proposed protected structures and structures within Architectural Conservation Areas is available from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF).
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is an annual scheme operating on a match-fund basis. The minimum funding awarded to successful applicants is €2,500, the maximum is €15,000, but the total value of funding awarded must not exceed 50% of the total project cost. The BHIS is targeted at small-scale works – roof and window repairs; lime pointing and lime rendering – but owners who schedule works over a multi-year period may make an application each year.
The BHIS 2024 includes ring-fenced funding of €500,000 for conservation repairs to thatched structures to maximise the availability of financial assistance to such owners.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2024 Guidance Booklet for Applicants explains the eligibility, the qualifying and non-qualifying works, and the terms and conditions of the scheme. The booklet should be read in conjunction with the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2024 Checklist for Applicants and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2024 Application Form
The BHIS is administered by the local authorities and the invitation for applications from eligible owners is usually announced in October/November for works taking place in the following calendar year. If you are considering applying for the BHIS, you should contact your local Architectural Conservation Officer (ACO) at your earliest opportunity to find out if the works you intend carrying out are eligible for financial assistance under the scheme and to find out what you may need to have in place – matching funding, method statements, appropriately qualified and competent conservation personnel – to give your application the best chance of succeeding.
The Historic Structures Fund (HSF) is an annual scheme operating on a match-fund basis. There are four separate streams of funding:
Stream 1 is targeted at essential repairs and small capital works. The minimum funding awarded to successful applicants is €15,000, the maximum is €50,000, but the total value of funding awarded must not exceed 80% of the total project cost.
Stream 2 is targeted at larger enhancement or significant refurbishment projects where a clear benefit to the community and public can be demonstrated. The minimum funding awarded to successful applicants is €50,000, the maximum is €200,000, but the total value of funding awarded must not exceed 50% of the total project cost.
The Vernacular Structures Stream is targeted at the conservation and repair of vernacular structures. The minimum funding awarded to successful applicants is €5,000, the maximum is €10,000, but the total value of funding awarded must not exceed 80% of the total project cost.
The Historic Shopfronts Stream funds the conservation and repair of historic shopfronts, commercial façades, joinery and signage, to safeguard them whether the shop is still in use or has been repurposed as residential accommodation. The minimum funding awarded to successful applicants is €15,000 and the maximum is €50,000.
The Historic Structures Fund 2024 Guidance Booklet for Applicants explains the eligibility, the qualifying and non-qualifying works, and the terms and conditions of the scheme. The booklet should be read in conjunction with the Historic Structures Fund 2024 Checklist for Applicants and the Historic Structures Fund 2024 Application Form
The HSF is administered by the local authorities and the invitation for applications from eligible owners is usually announced in October/November for works taking place in the following calendar year. If you are considering applying for the HSF, you should contact your local ACO at your earliest opportunity to find out if the works you intend carrying out are eligible for financial assistance under the scheme and to find out what you may need to have in place – matching funding, method statements, appropriately qualified and competent conservation personnel – to give your application the best chance of succeeding.
The Historic Towns Initiative (HTI) is a joint undertaking by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Heritage Council which aims to promote and provide support for the heritage-led regeneration of our historic towns. The sustainable use, and reuse, of historic buildings in our historic towns has many economic, environmental and social benefits as explained in the Historic Towns Initiative Seminar.
23 towns have benefitted from the HTI to date with a variety of projects receiving financial support. These include historic roof repairs, public realm works, and, in the case of Letterkenny, the conservation of seven historic buildings in Church Lane which have brought life and a sense of civic pride back to the previously dormant Cathedral Quarter.
The HTI is particularly interested in heritage-led regeneration projects which address residential vacancy in our historic towns and propose the repair and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Applications for funding are made by the local authority and matching funding of at least 20% of the total cost is required for each project funded.
Your local ACO should be able to advise you if you may be eligible for funding under the HTI.
Your local ACO should be able to advise you if you may be eligible for funding under any other built heritage scheme or if your local authority has its own streams of funding available for the conservation and repair of protected structures, proposed protected structures and structures within Architectural Conservation Areas.
The contact details for all ACOs are listed below. You should contact your Planning Department directly if your local authority does not employ an ACO.
Architectural Heritage Protection – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2011) is the definitive text explaining the context for the protection of our architectural heritage. The guidelines are user-friendly and, despite the title, are equally relevant to owners or prospective owners of protected structures as they are to conservation professionals responsible for the management and sustainable development of our architectural heritage.
Owners generally want to do what is best, and what is most economically practical, for their protected structure. The elements that contribute to the character and special interest of protected structures, including doors and windows, iron work and roofs, are also protected and it is very rare that those elements are in such disrepair that replacement is the only option. We are prepared to spend large amounts of money on replacements but not always prepared to find out the root causes behind the disrepair and alternative solutions to replacements which may be available. The conservation and repair of elements of the protected structure makes sound economic and environmental sense and financial assistance is available to support owners of protected structures with those works. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has also produced a series of user-friendly Advice Series publications addressing the repair of brick work, historic windows, roofs and thatched roofs. The series also addresses energy efficiency in historic buildings and maintenance of historic buildings.
Old House New Home, published by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) with funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is an online resource for the owners or prospective owners of protected structures and provides best-practice architectural advice and case studies to inspire the reimagining of these buildings. Old House New Home: What the buildings told us, a short film by architectural filmmaker and photographer Ros Kavanagh, features five of the case studies and illustrates how different buildings are reimagined as homes for the twenty-first century.
The needs of protected structures are different to those of new buildings and it is important that owners seek the correct advice and employ appropriately qualified and competent conservation professionals and tradespeople with a proven track record working with historic buildings. This should help to ensure that the character of the protected structure is not compromised by inappropriate additions, alterations or repairs.
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Conservation Accreditation System recognises different levels of architectural expertise and helps those looking to carry out works to their protected structure find the appropriate architect with the appropriate skills. The RIAI Skills Matrix for Conservation Projects is designed to help owners understand the different levels of skill of RIAI Conservation Accredited Architects, from Architects Accredited in Conservation at Grade 3 to Grade 1 Conservation Architects, and assign projects accordingly. The RIAI have also published lists of architects holding each grade of conservation accreditation.
The Irish Georgian Society has compiled a Traditional Buildings Skills Register to enable owners of protected structures to identify conservation professionals and tradespeople.
Your local Architectural Conservation Officer (ACO) may also know of conservation professionals and tradespeople in your area with a proven track record working with historic buildings.
The contact details for all ACOs are listed below. You should contact your Planning Department directly if your local authority does not employ an ACO.
There are many examples of protected structures that have been successfully brought back to life in line with best conservation practice and your local Architectural Conservation Officer may be able to point you in the direction of a building similar to yours which you can look to for inspiration. Several protected structures have been sympathetically repaired with financial assistance from the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and Historic Structures Fund (HSF), or under the Historic Towns Initiative (HTI) administered by the Heritage Council, and the following are some good examples. All of the works were carried out in consultation with the relevant Architectural Conservation Officer who will be more than happy to give you helpful advice about your building.
A three-storey house in the centre of Listowel, County Kerry, a designated Architectural Conservation Area (ACA), which was brought back into residential use in 2021 with funding under the Historic Towns Initiative (HTI). The cementitious render, which had cracked, was removed and replaced with a lime render scored in the traditional way to simulate finely cut blocks of ashlar stone work. Funding was also made available to replace the inappropriate aluminium fittings. The new timber door with mouthorgan fanlight, and the traditional multi-pane timber sash windows, have improved the energy efficiency of the house as well as restoring its historic character. The house demonstrates how sensitive refurbishment can bring previously empty buildings back to life, create uplift for the surrounding streetscape, and reintroduce residential use to our historic town centres.
One of the few surviving thatched farmhouses in north County Kerry, and therefore an important part of our vernacular built heritage, it is a protected structure in the Kerry County Development Plan. The farmhouse belongs to the “direct entry” type, its front door opening directly into the parlour, and its thatched roof is hipped at both ends.
A detailed method statement submitted by the thatcher addressed key issues including the conservation-led repair of salvageable roof timbers and the retention of sound sections of the existing thatch.
Financial assistance of €32,000 was secured under the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) and, in addition to keeping the farmhouse in active use as a family home, the project clearly demonstrates that our vernacular built heritage is viable and capable of conservation, repair and reuse.
Our architectural heritage is an irreplaceable expression of the customs and values of our past. Our architectural heritage includes not only grand architectural statements such as cathedrals and country houses but also the modest everyday buildings which, over time, acquire special interest as markers of social change or the work of traditional craftsmen, characterful owing to the survival of original fabric and their contribution to our historic built environment and unique sense of place. These structures have a significance which may only be appreciated when they are endangered or lost. We all benefit from the rich architectural heritage that has been passed down to us by successive generations and we should ensure that it is protected, sensitively adapted where necessary, in order to pass it on to our successors.
The Council of Europe published the 1985 Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe , commonly known as the Granada Convention, ‘to reinforce and promote policies for the conservation and enhancement of Europe’s architectural heritage’.
It was in the context of international initiatives such as the Granada Convention that the Government of Ireland legislated for the increased protection of our architectural heritage, recognising the economic and social benefits of protecting this part of our collective heritage and the place of conservation and adaptive reuse in policies of sustainable development.
The Government of Ireland legislated for the protection of our architectural heritage under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The main features of the Act are: