The owners of thatched cottages need to be better supported with new improved grant aid and critically, a national insurance policy, according to Drogheda rural independent councillor, Declan Power.
This is an issue across the country, said Clogherhead-based Cllr. Power, who contended that at present it’s almost impossible to get an insurance quote from companies.
“Those that do provide a quote are charging astronomical fees. The thatched cottage is a national icon, with people coming from all over the world to observe part of our heritage and culture,” he said.
Cllr Power said he has asked Louth County Council to write to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to enhance measures to protect the country’s thatched cottages, including increased funding for roof maintenance and better protection with Insurance cover.
“While we are deep in a housing crisis these days, the thatched cottage used to be the primary type of housing across the country, now dwindling to approximately 1,500 units,” Cllr. Power said.
“Preserving the thatched cottage is vital for our tourism. In Louth, we hope to reap the benefits of the ‘Biden bounce’ with a high expectation of many US visitors coming to Louth to see where their president’s family came from and explore their own ancestral story. The chances are, their ancestors probably lived in a thatched cottage,” he added.
Insurance and thatched cottages
“The Hollywood movie clip ‘Captain Light foot’, which was filmed in Clogherhead in 1955, depicts many of thatched cottages in the village at the time. Five of these still exist today,” Power said.
“Residents in these cottages have raised their concerns over maintenance costs and in particular, insurance cost.
“One resident has an extended thatch cottage to his existing one. He would love to convert it to a holiday home or Airbnb but the costs, in particular insurance charges, have made this impossible.
“There are various grants available from local authorities, with some recently increased. Unfortunately, these grants are not always enough due to the high maintenance costs and are meaningless if owners cannot get adequate insurance cover.
‘”Many owners nationally are currently trying to create a group insurance scheme but they need up to 1,000 owners to contribute up to €1,000. There is also a feeling that thatched cottage inspectors should be better qualified to access thatch roofing whether it’s a new roof or general maintenance,” Cllr. Power said.
“Thatched cottages are part of our heritage and culture and need to receive as much support as possible to keep them protected. If this isn’t done, these magical buildings that were once the main building lived in for many generations, will become a thing of the past.”
Government
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said that the department has been working to help resolve the difficulties that house owners and prospective house owners face in relation to insuring their properties.
“We also recognise the difficulty that sellers and buyers experience with regard to mortgages,” a department spokesperson said.
“The high cost of premiums and/or lack of accessibility to insurance appears to be due to the relatively high national incidence of fire in thatched houses.
“We are currently working on guidelines for safeguarding thatched houses against fire, and seeking to enhance the response to fire on the part of the fire services.”
On the topic of insurance, the spokesperson said the deparment has been engaing wiht the insurance unit of the Department of Finance, and with “various players in the insurance sector”.
“We would be happy to explore any viable initiative that can assist in these matters,” the spokesperson added.
“As regards new policies, we are aware that O’Callaghan Wholesale Insurance and Dolmen Underwriting will write new policies, but approaches to both need to be made through a broker.
“We are working to encourage other companies, based in Ireland or abroad, to offer new policies for thatched houses.”
The department has a number of grants in operation to assist owners of thatched buildings, the spokesperson added.
“A thatch repair grant has been available since 1990, and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and the Historic Structures Fund more recently,” they said.
“All of these schemes have assisted a large number of owners of thatched buildings. Late last year, we introduced a substantial ring-fenced fund specifically for historic thatched structures.
“We are currently reviewing the thatch repair grant, and examining thatching costs, the availability of thatchers and the growing of thatching materials, as we aware that these are key issues for the owners of thatched properties, as well as safeguarding this key part of our cultural heritage.”