Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 February 2024
226. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how Ireland is implementing Standard EN17652:2022 for the assessment and monitoring of archaeological deposits for preservation in-situ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9892/24]
View answerMy Department is not currently considering the standard referred to and would need to review its content and legal standing before taking any steps in relation to it. Ireland’s policy on archaeological heritage is based on the provisions of the 1992 European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (the Valletta Convention) and this informs all relevant policies and legislation.
Ireland has had on a longstanding basis two key Government policy and guidance documents addressing archaeological standards, the Framework and Principles for Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (dealing with approaches to reconciling archaeological heritage and development and which states clearly that there should be a presumption in favour of preservation in-situ and that it should be the first option to be considered) and the Policy and Guidelines on Archaeological Excavation, which provides a policy framework for the statutory system of licensing archaeological excavation.
Section 3 of the recently enacted Historic and Archaeological Heritage and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 will (when commenced) require the relevant authorities exercising functions under the Act to take due account of the principle “that the first option to be considered should be the protection in situ of historic heritage and that there ought to be a presumption in favour of this option”. The Act will also provide a clear statutory basis for the Minister with responsibility for heritage to engage with and support other bodies in developing standards and best practice. As matters stand the National Monuments Service is actively engaged with the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland in regard to assisting that body in developing a set of an updated and comprehensive professional standards for archaeological practice.
