460. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to expand the successful walled cities initiative; and if he will provide in tabular form the amount spent on this initiative for each of the past four years. [29955/14]

The Irish Walled Towns Network was set up by the Heritage Council in 2005 in order to unite and coordinate local authorities involved in the management, conservation and enhancement of historic walled towns in Ireland, both north and south. I understand that there are now 24 members. The network provides grant funding for town wall conservation plans, the implementation of those plans and the running of Walled Towns Day festivals.

The administration and management of the Network is a matter for the Heritage Council. The Council has informed my Department that it has provided €2,348,026 in funding for the Network over the past 4 years, as set out in the Table below: