Fine Gael Dublin Central Deputy and Minister for European Affairs, Paschal Donohoe, said the provision of more than €210,000 for the repair, restoration and conservation of protected buildings in Dublin Central will help to secure our heritage for future generations while giving a boost to local tradespeople who are in search of work.

The funds are part of €5m allocation nationally, under the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht's Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme (BHJLS) 2014. The scheme is being funded from the National Lottery License transaction and government funding is being supplemented by funding from the private sector.

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Mr Donohoe said: "As part of a national drive to secure our historic buildings into the future and also boost job creation in some of our sectors that have been hardest hit in recent years, €5 million is being made available to our local authorities to oversee restoration works on 618 projects across the State.

"Seventy three projects will be undertaken by Dublin City Council, with twenty four of them located in Dublin Central. A total of €210,300 is being made available so that 18th century houses, churches, schools and buildings of note in Dublin Central can be restored to their former glory and structurally maintained for future generations.

"Among the projects in Dublin Central are the Clock Tower, Grangegorman; an 18th Century house in Henrietta Street; St Michan's Church in Dublin 7; and a warehouse in need of roof repairs on Amiens Street.

"A condition of this scheme was that funding would at least be matched by private sources. This target has more than been achieved with private owners committing to €16 million across all projects being undertaken nationally."

(CD/JP)