Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
450. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the estimated cost to the Exchequer of waiving entrance fees to all OPW sites for students and young adult Transport for Ireland Leap card holders; the estimated cost to the Exchequer of waiving entrance fees for students and young adult TFI Leap card holders to include those under 26 years respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42721/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe OPW currently offers reduced rate entry for students. It is not possible to state the number of students who availed of such tickets as the OPW also offers the same reduced rate entry to children between the ages of 12 and 18, and these are all counted together. Furthermore, the OPW does not ask for, or record, the age of student visitors so cannot differentiate between students under/over 26 years. Figures for Student/Child ticket sales in the current year are not yet available, and 2020 and 2021 were atypical years; 2019 data offers the closest approximation to the current position.
In 2019, 196,696 reduced rate Student/Child tickets were sold, generating income of €807,878, however, it is not possible to estimate how much of this income was generated by ticket sales solely to students.
