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

As the Minister knows, the heritage sector makes a huge contribution to Irish life. The Heritage Council has published reports suggesting that for every €1 spent on local heritage projects, tourism is boosted by €4.40. The Golden Mile projects and the heritage offices in many local authority areas are very good at stretching very small funds that make a massive impact in small communities. The heritage sector provides 25,000 full-time jobs, giving a major boost to the Irish economy, and it supports some 40,000 jobs indirectly. It represents 2% of Ireland's employment and these jobs comprise a variety of roles, including those related to maintenance, construction, administration and tourism in our local authorities. Many of these jobs are in rural areas, which are also covered by the Minister's Department, and support the economically disadvantaged.

The bottom line is that I feel very strongly that a coherent plan must be put in place for the heritage sector, which, like our arts offices, can stretch very little funding to make a massive difference in local communities. However, it needs a plan that has vision and that co-ordinates the many other departments within our local authorities.

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