Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A national heritage plan is badly needed by the heritage sector, particularly given the cuts it has suffered since 2011. The Heritage Council funding was cut by almost 90% between 2011 and 2015 and funding cuts to the National Monuments Service have badly hurt that organisation and its ability to conduct its work. While Fianna Fáil welcomes the recent funding that has been announced, funding alone cannot save Ireland's struggling heritage sector. If we want to see our heritage sector thrive, we need to plan for how best to support it. A national heritage plan should listen to the needs and policy goals of the organisations active in the heritage sector and find a meaningful way to address those needs. It should also contain detailed proposals as to the levels and mechanisms through which funding should be provided to heritage projects and centres throughout the country. Doing so will require co-ordination and co-operation between multiple Departments and a vision for the future. The basic purpose of the plan should be to set out clear priorities in the heritage sector for the coming years and make a commitment to achieve these. Will the Minister elaborate further on her vision for co-ordinating that plan?

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