Vol. 533 No. 6
343 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when it is likely that the transfer of an old church and cemetery in County Kilkenny from her Department to Kilkenny County Council will be completed. [9581/01]
The matter of the transfer of the church and graveyard at Tullaroan, County Kilkenny from Kilkenny County Council to my Department currently rests with the county council who are awaiting documentation from their solicitors in order to effect this transfer. My officials are pursuing the matter with the county council but can give no indication of when the transfer will be completed.
344 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the fact that an archaeological assessment of a site at Connaughton Road, Sligo, produced for Sligo Corporation in July 2000, was received by Dúchas on 10 October 2000 (details supplied) and that an official then circulated it to other officials; the reason Dúchas wrote to Sligo Corporation on 5 March 2001 recommending that a further archae ological assessment be undertaken in respect of the site at Connaughton Road; if Dúchas requires Sligo Corporation to carry out two archaeological assessments in advance of considering rezoning proposals for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9669/01]
I am aware that a copy of an archaeological assessment of a site at Connaughton Road, Sligo was submitted to my Department by an individual in October 2000 and that this report was circulated to a number of officials for information and comment. This assessment related to a proposed housing development.
Quite separately, Sligo Corporation wrote to my Department regarding possible re-zoning of land at Connaughton Road and did not refer to any archaeological assessment having been commissioned by it on the site in question. My Department responded to the corporation on 5 March 2001 on the basis of the information formally submitted by it requesting that an archaeological assessment be carried out on the site prior to the making of a decision on re-zoning. Subsequent to the issue of this letter, Sligo Corporation provided additional information on the archaeological assessment carried out on the site which included a mitigating strategy for the site. Having considered this information, my Department does not now require a further assessment of the site should be carried out.
