Vol. 437 No. 3
41 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht when the decision was taken to concentrate the State's programme of discovery, as distinct from rescue, archaeology on the late bronze age and early iron age; the reason for this decision; the body responsible for making the decision; and the reason other periods were not chosen.
The discovery programme was formally initiated on 11 May 1991 by the then Taoiseach, Mr. Charles J. Haughey. Its purpose is to enhance our understanding of Ireland's past through a major programme of research and archaeological excavation. The Discovery Programme Panel, a committee of 11 persons appointed by the Taoiseach, was charged with the general direction of this work.
Initially the panel set out to identify major issues and problems that would form a basis for a first programme of study. Given the scope of the exercise, many possibilities immediately presented themselves, stretching chronologically from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages, and thematically from such monument types as upland habitation sites to deserted medieval villages, from megalithic tombs to tower houses. The panel decided that initially a core period should be focused on so that significant increases in knowledge could be demonstrated within a few years. The core period chosen was the Late Bronze Age-Iron Age. This is a most important, exciting and formative period, but one that is imperfectly understood. It was felt that this period should be better researched, in particular the emergence of a complex Celtic society. I understand that the discovery programme will in future address other topics.
