Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 7

Written Answers. - Excavation Licence.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

102 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Finance the purpose of the granting of a licence by the Office of Public Works to a private developer at St. Crispin's Cell, Rathdown, County Wicklow; the date the licence expires; when the report on the dig is expected from the Office of Public Works; if he intends to allow the local planning authority, Wicklow County Council, to be provided with a copy of the report of the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Dempsey)

Planning applications were made for a housing development at this site at Rathdown Upper, County Wicklow. The area proposed for development formed part of a church, medieval settlement and castle site which has been entered in the Register of Historic Monuments, as provided for under the National Monuments Acts, 1930 to 1987. In view of the archaeological potential of the site, the office of Public Works recommended to both Wicklow County Council and An Bord Pleanála that the site be archaeologically resolved, prior to the consideration of any development commencing. This recommendation was reflected in An Bord Pleanála's decision, on appeal, to refuse planning permission.

Consequently, the developer has decided to conduct archaeological testing of the site and his archaeologist was issued excavation licences for this purpose by the Office of Public Works. The current licence expires on 13 April 1994. Licensed archaeologists are required to submit detailed reports of archaeological excavations to the Office of Public Works within 12 months of the completion of an excavations to the Office of Public Works within 12 months of the completion of an excavation. In this case it is likely that the developer would submit an archaeological report to Wicklow County Council in conjunction with any future planning application.