Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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669. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the level of engagement between her Department and the OPW on capital investment projects in the national cultural institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43497/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) plays an important role, in partnership with our National Cultural Institutions (NCIs), as stewards and custodians of many of the buildings in which our NCIs are housed. Section 70 of the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997 provides that the OPW have a specified role with regards to the maintenance, upkeep, repair, renovation and improvement of premises occupied by the National Library and the National Museum.

Given the role of the OPW in the NCIs, and given their expertise in building maintenance, construction and redevelopment, they are fulfilling the role of contracting authority in a number of capital investment projects in the NCIs. Officials from my Department work with the OPW and NCIs through the governance arrangements established to facilitate the progression of individual projects.

To ensure coherence and programme level oversight, and to facilitate planning across the whole NCI capital investment programme, my officials and OPW officials also liaise frequently through monitoring and working groups.