The Irish Government has launched the 2024 Community Monuments Fund which will help owners and custodians to carry out conservation works on their monuments.

The €7 million of funding aims to conserve, maintain, protect and promote local monuments and historic sites. Monuments that are deemed significant and in need of urgent support will receive funding to support essential repairs and capital works.

The aim is to encourage access to monuments and improve their presentation and also build their resilience to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change. The fund also supports the development of Conservation Management Plans that will identify measures that may be needed to conserve monuments. Grants are also available to improve public access infrastructure and interpretation at archaeological monuments.

Minister of State Noonan said: "I am delighted to announce a €7 million Community Monuments Fund for 2024. The fund has been a resounding success since it was established in 2020 and is now widely regarded as a vital contributor to the protection and preservation of our precious archaeological heritage. The CMF supports these vulnerable community assets by improving public accessibility and preserving the irreplaceable richness and sense of place that they bring to communities, villages, towns and cities. It also provides thousands of hours of employment for conservation architects, archaeologists, traditional skills workers and others to help deliver on key national policies, such as Heritage Ireland 2030 and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan in relation to archaeological heritage. I look forward to receiving the applications this coming February, 2024."

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Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, said: "We are very pleased to announce the Community Monuments Fund for 2024. Funding for this scheme has grown considerably since the inaugural scheme of 2020 and I am thrilled to have secured significant funding again this year. The fund helps to support the heritage sector and provides an extremely impactful way of assisting Local Authorities, State-funded organisations and private owners in protecting our outstanding yet vulnerable archaeological heritage."

Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell, said: "Our archaeological heritage lies at the heart of communities across this country, an inheritance of monuments showing a past that we are all obliged to protect. It is fantastic to see the co-operation between Local Authorities and the National Monuments Service in rolling out and operating this fund. I would like to thank the Local Authorities and the National Monuments Service for their dedication and effort in the administration of this important scheme."

The closing date for applications is 14 February 2024.