Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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522.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of abolishing admission charges for OPW heritage sites, in tabular form. [33394/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating the country’s most important heritage sites. The mission of OPW Heritage Services is to conserve and protect the nation’s built heritage in our care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with our Nation's heritage.

The Office of Public Works receives funding through the Oireachtas to fund the staff, operational, maintenance and capital costs of caring for our National Heritage portfolio.

The OPW charges admission fees to almost all sites where visitor services are provided i.e. sites that are staffed with a Guide service either year-round or seasonally.

Free admission is offered at Sceilg Michíl UNESCO World Heritage Property, however, private boat operators provide access to the island and visitors pay the service providers directly.

Free admission may be offered on occasion where part of an OPW site is closed for maintenance or for conservation works.

As such, there is no appreciable cost to the exchequer through loss of income from the provision of free admission in these limited instances.

Separately, the OPW cares for 780 National Monuments nationwide and there are a number of un-staffed monument sites across the country that are free to access by the public.

Information on OPW sites which offer guided services is set out in tabular form below, with the correlating admission charges.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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523.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of abolishing guided tour charges for OPW heritage sites, in tabular form. [33395/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating the country’s most important heritage sites. The mission of OPW Heritage Services is to conserve and protect the nation’s built heritage in our care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with our Nation's heritage.

The Office of Public Works receives funding through the Oireachtas to fund the staff, operational, maintenance and capital costs of caring for our National Heritage portfolio.

The OPW charges admission fees to almost all sites where visitor services are provided i.e. sites that are staffed with a Guide service either year-round or seasonally.

Free admission is offered at Sceilg Michíl UNESCO World Heritage Property, however, private boat operators provide access to the island and visitors pay the service providers directly.

Free admission may be offered on occasion where part of an OPW site is closed for maintenance or for conservation works.

As such, there is no appreciable cost to the exchequer through loss of income from the provision of free admission in these limited instances.

Separately, the OPW cares for 780 National Monuments nationwide and there are a number of un-staffed monument sites across the country that are free to access by the public.

Information on OPW sites which offer guided services is set out in tabular form below, with the correlating admission charges.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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524.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of purchasing the lands sought for community public access to the OPW property of Castletown House, in tabular form. [33396/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The OPW will respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.