A working group which aims to improve the appearance of public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, has been established by the Minister for the Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera.
The group will look at ways of developing the architecture of all public buildings, including those of semi-State bodies, and part of its remit will be to examine the standard of qualifications for architecture.
The aim of the working group would be to co-ordinate the development of the specific proposals and policy on architecture adopted by the Government last May, a statement said.
It is intended that the group will report to the Minister in a year, and recommendations will then be presented to the Government.
According to the statement, the Government's policy on architecture includes promoting high standards of design and construction in public buildings; ensuring that the architectural heritage is maintained to a high standard; and fostering the demand for high-quality architecture in the community.
The working group will be chaired by Mr Michael O'Doherty, principal architect at the OPW, and includes representatives of the Heritage Council and the Arts Council, officials from the Departments of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Environment and Local Government, and Education and Science. It will establish specialist task groups bringing together other key partners in each of the areas identified.
The Minister said the group had an exciting and challenging task ahead and she looked forward to receiving its recommendations, which would constitute a major contribution to the development of Government policy on architecture.