Vol. 217 No. 11
I move:
That a sum not exceeding £188,000 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1966, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Valuation Office, the Ordnance Survey and certain Minor Services.
The Minister was at one time Minister for Education and, therefore, he will have some knowledge of the matter I now propose to mention. This is one of the largest centres of archaeological remains in Europe. These archaeological remains are being progressively eliminated by the ordinary processes of agriculture and the only means of preserving them is through the medium of an aerial survey of the country such as has been carried out in the six counties of Northern Ireland, in the entire island of Great Britain and most of the continent of Europe.
For some extraordinary reason, into which I do not propose to go in detail now, the Ordnance Survey have never been given the facilities or the direction to carry out a similar aerial survey here. It is a matter of fact that a peripatetic survey does not record on the Ordnance Survey maps such data as can be identified by an aerial survey and it is notable that the peripatetic survey does not reveal many of the archaeological sites that exist. I have already stated in the House and now wish to repeat that, when I was Minister for Agriculture, I arranged to have an aerial survey made of Cruachan. On the peripatetic survey there are seven sites recorded on Cruachan, the traditional home of Queen Meádhbh and King Ailill.
The aerial survey was examined by the Dublin Museum authorities and, if my memory serves me aright, 29 archaeological sites were recorded for the first time in recorded history. I have reason to believe, and my belief is sustained by the Royal Archaeological Society, that a similar state of affairs exists in relation to practically every part of the country. The tragedy is that with every year that passes, a number of such archaeological treasures are being expunged. In connection with town planning and certain other operations, limited aerial surveys are being made and there is now a considerable amount of overlapping.
For technical reasons, it is desirable that aerial surveys should be lateral surveys rather than vertical surveys. If the Ordnance Survey would carry out an aerial survey of the whole country, it would be of use not only to archaeologists but also to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Local Government and the Department of Industry and Commerce in connection with the Geological Survey Office. I urge on the Minister and the Government, both for utilitarian purposes and for the preservation of the history of the country, that they should give the necessary direction to have a full aerial survey of the 26 counties carried out by the Ordnance Survey so that it could be correlated with what has been already done in the six northern counties, thus having this country properly surveyed as practically every country has been.
I cannot say I know as much as I should like to know about this but I shall bear the Deputy's remarks in mind. There is in this year's Estimate a sum of £12,500 for air survey equipment. I understand that Army planes are used for air surveys. Whether they are of the peripatetic archaeological kind I do not know.
An aeroplane would not carry out a peripatetic survey.
Perhaps by helicopter, which does not move too fast. I do not profess to know a lot about this but I shall bear Deputy Dillon's remarks in mind.
