Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Feb 2003

Vol. 562 No. 2

Written Answers - Archaeological Heritage.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

195 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the incentives currently available to those who discover artefacts of vital national interest with a view to making such items available to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5919/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994 (No. 17 of 1994), empowers the Director of the National Museum of Ireland, NMI, to take possession of and retain, on behalf of the State, any object of archaeological or historical interest where such object has no known owner.

Where an object is retained by the Director of the NMI on behalf of the State, the Act provides for the payment of financial rewards to each of or any of the following: finder(s) of the archaeological objects, the owner of the land and the occupier of the land on or under which such object was found. The intrinsic value and the general historical and archaeological importance of the object, the circumstances of the finding and the amount of the rewards previously paid in the State in respect of the finding of other comparable archaeological objects, are taken into account when deciding whether or not to pay a reward.

Question No. 196 answered with Question No. 194.

Question No. 197 answered with Question No. 192.