Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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179. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of giving a free heritage card, which currently costs €30 for access to all OPW sites, for those aged 60 and over; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42209/24]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works 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 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.

The Office of Public Works receives voted funds through the Oireachtas to fund the staff, operational, maintenance and capital costs of caring for our national Heritage portfolio. Funding is provided on an annual basis. In the scenario of the provision of free heritage cards to all citizens over 60 years of age, there would be an aligned increase in demand for services requiring additional staff capacity and operational capacity but these additional operational costs are difficult to quantify in the abstract.

The OPW Heritage Card grants unlimited access to OPW fee-paying sites for 365 days from the first visit. There are four categories available for purchase online and directly at sites: Adult, Family, Child/ Student and Senior Citizen. Heritage Card sales for 2023 amounted to €461,063. Of this overall amount €123,360 of income relates to the Senior Citizen Heritage Card.

The Office of Public Works operates a number of schemes which are designed to facilitate strong community engagement and public participation in our shared heritage. These schemes include;

• Free Wednesday Scheme - free admission to individual visitors and families to participating OPW heritage sites on the first Wednesday of each month
• Free entry for those with disabilities and their accompanying carers at all OPW sites where an admission charge applies.
• Free Schools Scheme - Under this scheme, all primary and second-level pupils can explore OPW sites, free of charge.