Ministry questioned financing of new Argir church

Documents obtained by Kringvarp Føroya show that the Ministry of Education still had several unanswered questions about financing for the new church in Argir less than two months before the final building permit was issued.

In a letter to the Faroese diocese administration dated May 29, the ministry said several issues needed to be clarified before the minister could be advised to grant the permit.

The ministry requested proof that a final and binding agreement had been reached on the sale of the old church. It also sought further assessments of the present value of the sale proceeds, lost interest and additional interest costs, since the parish would not receive the proceeds until the takeover took place.

The ministry also asked for clearer information about how much construction costs would increase because work had not begun immediately, even though the construction contract had been signed in 2024.

In addition, it requested details from the diocese administration about how value-added tax, voluntary labour and reused furnishings had been treated in the calculation of the project’s equity financing.

However, the documents released under the freedom of information request contain no records answering those questions.

Final permit issued in late July

The case overview shows that the Ministry of Education recommended granting the final building permit on July 20, 2026. The minister approved the recommendation the following day, and the final permit was sent to Argir Church and the Faroese diocese administration on July 22.

The documents obtained by Kringvarp Føroya therefore show that the ministry still had several unanswered questions about the financing as late as the end of May. They do not show what specifically changed before the final building permit was issued on July 22.