Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)

This is a great opportunity to raise this issue. Absolutely. As the Minister has constantly said, the answer to providing more units is a jigsaw that involves so many different pieces, and it will include historical structures and older buildings. In the past, we have seen very imaginative developments where historical structures have been turned into apartments or other types of residential units. There are, then, opportunities there within our Department. A few different funding streams will again become available towards the end of this year. These include the historic structures fund and the built heritage investment scheme. These are two of the main funding mechanisms where private property owners and communities can apply for funding to restore and stabilise these historical structures. We have seen that the vacant property grant is a key tool in bringing dwellings back into use. Combining this grant with initiatives like the historic structures fund and the built heritage investment scheme means there are fantastic opportunities out there. I urge people who are owners of historical properties to find out more information about these schemes and to avail of them, because there is quite a good chunk of funding there. Of course, though, we are always looking for more funding. It is money well spent. I can say that for sure.