Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

791. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total estimated cost per annum of the town centre health check programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1687/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The roll out of a pilot programme for town centre health checks is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council.

In this regard, it is a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports in 2017 and future years, having regard to competing priorities for limited resources. However, my Department will continue to work closely with the Council to ensure continued investment is appropriately targeted within the heritage area.

I understand that a pilot Town Centre Health Check Training Programme was developed in late 2016 and that the costs invoiced to the Council in 2016 in relation to the programme were of the order of €4,700.

The pilot is being monitored and evaluated as it progresses and a process evaluation report will be prepared in May 2017 for review by the Heritage Council and my Department. Further information is available from the Heritage Council and on its website at