71. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will consider the introduction of free access to OPW sites to people with disabilities and children under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52107/26]

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for conserving, maintaining, managing and presenting Ireland’s national heritage estate.

Free admission for persons with disabilities and their carers is a permanent initiative operated by the OPW which is designed to remove financial barriers to cultural engagement.

Under this scheme, which was established in May 2018, persons with disabilities and their carers are granted complimentary access to all fee-paying OPW heritage sites nationwide.

The Free Admission for Under 12's scheme is also a permanent initiative that operates all year round.

Introduced in July 2017, the scheme provides for all children under the age of 12 to receive complimentary access to all fee-paying OPW heritage sites nationwide.

These schemes operate alongside other initiatives, including discounted student rates, free admission for primary and post-primary schools, the Heritage Card, and the “Free First Wednesday" initiative, the latter of which provides the public with access to heritage sites nationwide free of charge on the first Wednesday of every month.

To complement the above initiatives, the OPW has also periodically piloted initiatives—such as free admission for Under 18s (12-17 years old) during Heritage Week to further promote heritage awareness among youth cohorts.

The OPW remains committed to reviewing these access policies regularly to ensure our heritage estate continues to deliver maximum educational, social, and economic benefits to communities across Ireland.