Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Martin Heydon has announced the opening of the 2026 Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme.

The minister confirmed that the department will allocate funding of €750,000 for the 2026 edition of the scheme.

The amount of funding is half of what was allocated in 2025, which was €1.5 million.

The scheme is subject the EU state aid rules, meaning grant amounts may be limited if participants are receiving other types of EU grants.

The grant scheme invests in the conservation of traditional farm buildings and structures of heritage value that contribute to the rural landscape.

The scheme funds the conservation and preservation of traditional farm buildings and structures such as historic yard surfaces, gates and gate pillars as part of the working farm.

Many of the supported structures also provide roosting sites for bats and nesting sites for birds.

Changes in the funding mechanism mean that a list of successful applicants will be published in line with State aid procedures.

Applications must be made online by May 18. An information webinar about the scheme will take place on April 17.

Commenting on the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme, Minister Heydon said: "This funding will ensure that farmers can continue to restore and safeguard our traditional farm buildings, helping to preserve our vernacular history."

The minister said: "This award-winning scheme has supported the restoration of more than 1,000 buildings, historic yard surfaces, gates and gate pillars that may have otherwise been left in dereliction.

"These projects represent an important investment in enhancing our agricultural heritage and our rural communities for many years to come," he added.

Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme

Ireland was among one of five winners in the 2024 European Heritage Awards for the Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme.

The Irish scheme had received an award in the category for education, training, and skills.