Press release
2022 GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme Opens
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, has announced the opening of the 2022 GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme. This scheme funds the conservation of traditional farm buildings and structures of significant heritage value that contribute to our rural landscape, for agricultural use.
The Heritage Council manages the scheme on behalf of the Department, and it is open to applicants who participate in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). It is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Rural Development Programme.
Speaking about the announcement, Minister McConalogue said that
“I was delighted to again secure €1.25 million in the budget for this very important scheme as it continues to make an essential contribution to our rural heritage, our traditional skills base and in supporting farmers in the preservation and enhancement of biodiversity. Experience shows us that many of these buildings serve as a habitat for wildlife, in particular bats and birds with many vulnerable species now relying on these buildings for their survival. Amongst many other discoveries, I was delighted to hear that the first known record of a Whiskered bat roost in Co. Louth was discovered in a traditional farm building supported under the scheme in 2021. The scheme helps demonstrate that sensitive conservation action and management by farmers safeguards these habitats and contributes to the reversal of biodiversity loss.
“It is good to note that so many of these buildings still serve as useful assets for the farm and that it is not just buildings supported but also other built features of our farm heritage. I had the pleasure recently of seeing the works carried out to the walls at the mid-18th century Dunmore Gardens in Co. Donegal which as well as serving as the boundary to the farm are also on the Donegal Garden Trail. Retaining and using our traditional farm buildings and other built features avoids the mining, quarrying, felling, manufacture and transport of new building materials and the more farmers who renovate and adapt for use on the farm, the less new build will be needed. This contributes to climate change mitigation and the sustainable use of resources and supports farmers in their endeavours to be more climate resilient.”
The grants available range between €4,000 and €25,000 with up to 75% of the cost of the project eligible for funding with a maximum available grant of €25,000.
Virginia Teehan, Heritage Council CEO, said:
“As well as their inherent cultural heritage value traditional farm buildings are an integral component of the Irish rural landscape. The use of locally sourced materials naturally connects built structures to their surrounding environments resulting in local and regional characteristics and help serve as contributors to identity. They are lessons in endurance, and we need the skills essential for their repair to endure too. This scheme invests in those crafts people with the skills to maintain this historic building stock for our future. Skills people carry out repairs in accordance with a conservation ethos which recognises and respects the different values that these buildings retain. If it was not for the level of care that is taken by those working on the scheme the Civil War diary hidden in a jam jar in the gable wall of a building in Co. Mayo would never have been discovered. This is just one example of how so many of these buildings serve as repositories of artefacts as well as serving as hosts of embodied energy and traditional building skills and as havens for wildlife.
“We are looking forward to seeing many more examples of projects in 2022 which improve the quality of our rural landscape for farmers, rural dwellers and visitors, while at the same time protecting many cultural, social, economic and environmental values embedded in the landscape”.
Minister McConalogue concluded that
“This scheme has been in continuous operation since 2008 as part of a competitive measure embedded within the Department’s agri-environmental schemes. It generates measurable, publicly-visible results and recognises these buildings as an active contributor to preserving biodiversity, the sustainable use of resources and the mitigation of climate change. I am proud of my Department’s investment in this scheme which supports farmers in their endeavours to address climate action and conserve their heritage and I would encourage all GLAS participants to consider applying for it”.
The closing date for receipt of online applications is Tuesday, 22nd February 2022 at 5pm and the schemes terms and conditions and the online application form are available at https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/
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