Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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560. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline any grants available to a person wishing to convert an old building into an interpretive museum, and if there are any grants available for preservation of old buildings if used to educate, or as a museum. [51508/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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Under my Department, the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) provides two main grant schemes to support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures. These include capital grants for conservation works as well as financial assistance for owners to obtain conservation advice for their historic structures. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) are, in the main, administered by the local authorities, while applications for the Conservation Advice Grant are made directly to my Department.

The BHIS provides capital funding of between €2,500 and €50,000 for repair or conservation works to the following types of buildings:

1. Protected structures
2. Proposed protected structures
3. Structures in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)
4. Vernacular buildings

1. Protected Structures: Structures in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) of each Local Authority;
2. Structures eligible for or proposed for inclusion in the RPS but not yet formally approved for inclusion.
3. Structures or works within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs), or within the amenity of a National Monument, where exceptional circumstances apply.

1. projects proposed by local authorities on foot of applications from private applicants who are the owners or custodians of historic structures
2. projects proposed by a Local Authority for works to historic structures in public ownership, where a clear heritage focus and community or public benefit has been demonstrated