Who we are
We are a service organisation of the Irish government. We are the people who manage and take care of many of Ireland’s most important historic places. These places range from archaeological monuments to historic houses and include the plants, trees, art, artefacts, furniture and other folklife relics that give them their unique life and colour.
The OPW’s Heritage Services include National Historic Properties, which is responsible for some 30 key historic sites, and the National Monuments Service, which focuses on the 750 National Monuments in State care. Our governance structure comprises of a board which reports to the Minister of State with Special Responsibility for the OPW at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
We are fortunate to have many highly skilled and experienced staff, who remain devoted to protecting and assisting in the interpretation of our heritage sites. We also believe in the value of cooperating with other agencies, museums and private institutions and actively seek out opportunities to work together and build networks of professional support.
Minister
Kieran O’ Donnell T.D.
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht
Kieran O’Donnell TD is the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, appointed in April 2024.
Minister O’Donnell is the Fine Gael TD for Limerick City Constituency. First elected in May 2007, he was re-elected in 2011 and 2020. He served as Minister of State for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage from December 2022 to April 2024.
He has served as:
– Chairperson of the Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee
– Vice-Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
– member of the Banking Inquiry
– member of the Oireachtas Finance and Budgetary Affairs Committees
– spokesperson on Finance for Fine Gael.He was elected to the Seanad in 2016. Prior to his entry into national politics, he was elected to Limerick County Council in 2004.
Minister O’Donnell is a Chartered Accountant, with many years of experience with his own practice and is a business studies degree graduate from the University of Limerick (UL).
Senior management
John Conlon
Chairman
Robert Mooney (Commissioner)
Head of Planning and Climate Adaptation
Responsibility for Flood Risk Management (Policy), Estate Planning, Quantity Surveying and Climate Adaptation
Ciarán O'Connor (Commissioner)
State/Principal Architect
Responsibility for Major Projects, Brexit Unit and Civil and Structural Engineering.
Jim Casey
Head of Flood Risk Management
Responsibility for Flood Risk Assessment/Management, Flood Project Management and Arterial Drainage Maintenance.
Rosemary Collier
Head of Heritage Services and Capital Works Delivery
Responsibility for National Historic Properties, National Monuments, Conservation, Intermediate Projects (Capital Works Delivery), Event Management and Cultural Institutions Programme Delivery.
Pat Fitzsimons
Acting Head of Corporate Services
Responsibility for Corporate Services and the new Client Services and Communications function within the Office of Public Works
Cathleen Morrison
Head of Estate Management
Responsibility for Property Management (Accommodation, Portfolio Planning and Owned Estate), Property Maintenance and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
