Mr. Michael Starrett:

As Ms Kelly mentioned, it is something which the authority must want to do. The scheme started as a pilot project with three officers in 1999. Its value was very quickly recognised. The chair of the local authority heritage officer network, Ms Shirley Clerkin, made a very animated presentation to the committee approximately one month ago. One of the very supportive steps identified by the committee was moving heritage services within local authorities to the next level by trying to secure funding and encourage people to develop an assistant post to heritage officers. As members are aware, heritage services within each local authority comprise one person with responsibility for a significant amount of work. Heritage officers have great enthusiasm for their work, but if local authorities want to develop heritage services, the officers must be encouraged and supported because they are stretched, as members know. The Heritage Council continues to provide 25% funding for heritage officer posts through local authorities. In spite of our precarious financial situation, we consider it very valuable to do so as it means that we can keep the network of officers tight and working together and provide the sort of training for them to which Ms Kelly alluded in terms of the museum standards programme. There are some gaps to fill but there has been tremendous progress within the local authorities over the past 18 years and our partnership with them is central to that.

Ms Kelly may wish to address the specific vacancy to which Deputy Smyth referred. The filling of the post is complicated by employment control frameworks and getting sanction for recruitment. The post in the council has been vacant for six years. Last week, we recruited a wildlife officer to fill a post vacant for five years. We have a small number of staff and trying to operate without that level of skill and expertise to animate and share with people creates a significant amount of stress. I pay tribute to Ms Kelly who has borne much of that burden for the Heritage Council in the absence of a museums officer.