Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Nov 1992

Vol. 424 No. 10

Ceisteanna — Questions. Written Answers. - Advertising Campaign.

Nora Owen

Question:

43 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the recent advertisements placed in national newspapers by the Office of Public Works; the number of such advertisements; the names of the publications in which the advertisements appeared; the cost of the advertisements; and whether the money for the advertisements was contained in the estimates for the Office of Public Works or whether the advertisements arose as a direct response to the Office of Public Works's role in the provision of interpretative centres throughout the country.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. N. Treacy)

The brief of the Office of Public Works is to conserve and protect various aspects of our natural and built heritage. One of the most effective means of conservation is to make the public at large aware of their heritage. This raising of public consciousness is done in many ways, including a comparatively modest advertising campaign. The advertisements are designed to invite people to actively experience their heritage. The intention is that by so doing the public can enrich themselves and learn the important values of conservation.

The heritage promotion campaign by the Office of Public Works is now in its fourth year and predates by at least two years the public debate about the siting of visitor/interpretative centres. Therefore, the advertisements are not related to this debate but to the general issue of public appreciation of our heritage.

Heritage advertisements have been placed in theSunday Independent, Sunday Press, Sunday World, Sunday Tribune, Anois, The Irish Times and the Cork Examiner. As all invoices have not yet been received for these advertisements, it is not possible to give exact expenditure figures at this time for heritage advertising.