Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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252. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of participants in the Office of Public Works heritage card scheme in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019; the budget allocation in each year; and the number of designated heritage sites in which the card can be used in tabular form. [31444/19]

Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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The number of Heritage Cards issued by OPW Heritage Services since 2016 were as follows:

* The lower sales of Heritage Cards in 2017 and 2018 reflect the provision in those years of complimentary admission to specific groups such as Children Under 12 and Persons with disabilities and their Carers.

The OPW's total Visitor Services budget allocation for the relevant years was as follows:

This allocation covers all areas of Visitor related expenditure including Guide pay and other non-pay items relevant to the presentation and promotion of the heritage sites managed by the OPW. The costs generally associated with administering the Heritage Card scheme are those relating to printing of the cards and are paid from the Visitor Services allocation. The printing and card fabrication costs were:

*No costs were incurred in 2018 or to date in 2019 due to stocks in hand.

The OPW Heritage Card is accepted at the following fee-charging sites: