Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 27 Nov 1997

Vol. 483 No. 5

Written Answers. - Heritage Council.

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

39 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the measures, if any, she will take to ensure the needs of the Heritage Council are met in view of the recent comments by the Heritage Council in relation to its funding requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20770/97]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The Heritage Council's funding allocation of £4 million for 1998, as announced in the recently published Estimates for my Department, represents a 34 per cent increase on its allocation for 1997.

This increase includes a 26 per cent increase in the council's non-capital, non-administrative allocation, and a 54 per cent increase in the council's capital allocation, which includes a sum of £0.5 million for the acquisition of a permanent headquarters in Kilkenny.

I will, of course, be pursuing the matter of further increased funding for the Heritage Council in 1999 and subsequent years.