The Minister, Deputy de Valera, is ill, so I am answering questions on her behalf. Thirteen professional archaeologists are assigned to the archaeological service of the Department and 17 archaeologists are engaged on a contract basis. None of these archaeologists is employed on a part-time basis. The Department also employs a small number of archaeologists on a seasonal basis as the need arises and further survey work is carried out from time to time by certain universities.
In 1999, Dúchas dealt with 7,500 cases concerning planning and development issues where there were archaeological implications. This figure compares to just over 1,000 cases in 1992. This seven-fold increase is largely attributable to the upsurge in construction activity in the intervening period. In the past Dúchas managed this increased workload by a combination of employing additional archaeologists on a contract basis as well as the redeployment of staff from other areas of operation within the archaeological service. This placed additional strains on the resources at the Minister's disposal but she is satisfied that within the resources available an efficient and professional service has been maintained for all customers. In this regard, I point to the many archaeological sites which have been safeguarded and preserved over recent years through the intervention of the Department in the planning and development process. I also point to the co-operation and support we received from planning authorities and developers in recognising the need for the protection of the archaeological heritage as well as the general support from the public for the work carried out by the Department in this area.
Safeguarding the archaeological heritage within the planning and development process is vitally important. However, it is too simplistic to equate success in this area with employing more archaeologists in the Department.
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Other factors such as creating public awareness of the heritage, access to information and localising the expertise available are also important ingredients. Great strides have been made by the Department is the past two decades, most notably through the work involved in presenting the premier heritage sites through the establishment of the record of monuments and places for the entire country, which gives immediate protection to 120,000 archaeological sites and monuments. However, more can be done.
The Minister would like to see local authorities taking more of an interest in the management of their local heritage. Local authorities already possess a wide range of expertise within existing staff but, in the same way as they have planners to look after planning and engineers to look after roads, drainage, water services and so on, there is much to commend having archaeologists available to look after their archaeology. Notwithstanding the professional service provided centrally by the Department, there is potential to provide the service more effectively and efficiently by devolving the protection of archaeological sites within the planning process to planning authorities. Such a development would be consistent with the recently introduced procedures for the protection of the post-medieval architectural heritage. These procedures give primary responsibility for the management and protection of buildings contained in the record of protected structures to local authorities.
A wider role for local authorities in the archaeological heritage should be further explored and the Minister intends to consider such a development in the context of the national heritage plan which she will publish later this year.
