James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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1080. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding available to local authorities from her Department or the Heritage Council to fund the cost of hiring a heritage officer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12278/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The County Heritage Officers Programme is a partnership between the Heritage Council, which is funded by my Department, and Local Government.

County Heritage Officers are employed directly by local authorities with financial, technical and professional support from the Heritage Council. In financial terms, the Heritage Council contributes 25% of the gross salary costs and travel and subsistence costs of the Heritage Officer to the local authority.

Total expenditure on the Heritage Officer programme by the Heritage Council in 2017 was €530k.

The decision as to whether to appoint a Heritage Officer is a matter for each local authority. The Heritage Council is available to work with any local authority to advise and support them in this regard.