Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013
25. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of national monuments which have been reported to his Department as damaged to date in 2013; the actions he has taken to remedy these damages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38481/13]
View answerSome 89 reports of threats or damage to archaeological monuments have been received by my Department to date in 2013. Of the 2013 reports, damage has been found to have occurred to 24 monuments; an area surrounding a monument that may contain archaeology has been affected in 23 cases; and no damage has been found in 13 cases. Investigations are ongoing in the remaining cases. In some cases, damage may be attributable to natural causes, e.g., flooding.
All reports of damage to recorded monuments are fully investigated by my Department and, in cases of actual damage, appropriate action is taken to secure the best outcome for the particular site. Actions by my Department in such circumstances may include requiring remedial works by the landowner or occupier, advising the owner or occupier about proper management of the site, rescue excavation, submission of a formal complaint to An Garda Síochána with a view to a prosecution under the National Monuments Acts, or a combination of these options.
All known archaeological monuments, of which there are in excess of 130,000, are entitled to protection under the National Monuments Acts. Generally this requires any person intending to carry out works at, or in the vicinity of, a protected monument to either provide my Department with two months advance notice or to secure my formal consent to the works, as appropriate. Failure to comply with these requirements is subject to severe penalties. The National Monuments Acts also allow me, as Minister, to make a preservation order where I consider a national monument to be at risk. Protection may be extended to previously unrecorded monuments by entering them in the Register of Historic Monuments or the Record of Monuments and Places.
Many monuments are located in the more remote parts of the country and the assistance of local communities is crucial in aiding my Department in their protection. The vigilance of local people has proved to be of crucial assistance in identifying unlawful interference with archaeological monuments and objects and in their successful investigation and recovery. As I already referred to, prosecutions in respect of damage to recorded monuments are initiated where warranted. There has been a number of successful convictions in the recent past, while several other investigations by An Garda Síochána are ongoing.
In relation to national monuments in my ownership or guardianship, the National Monuments Service of my Department and the Office of Public Works, which is responsible for care and maintenance of national monuments sites, continues to keep security measures for such sites under ongoing review.
