Vol. 506 No. 1
10 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether existing legislation is sufficiently strong and the policing of this well manned to protect ancient monuments and other matters relating to our heritage; and, if not, the plans, if any, she has to rectify this situation. [14731/99]
The National Monuments Acts, 1930 to 1994, confer on me the responsibility and powers to protect the State's national monuments, including the power to preserve, by way of a preservation order, archaeological sites or monuments which may be at risk of being damaged or destroyed, as well as the power to prosecute persons who contravene the provisions of the Acts. The National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994, made provision for the protection of all heretofore documented archaeological sites and monuments, numbering some 120,000, in the State by establishing the statutory Record of Monuments and Places. There is a requirement that any person proposing to carry out works to a site that has been included in the Record of Monuments and Places must give me two months written notice of the proposed works. The Record of Monuments and Places, which was completed in December 1998, represents a significant milestone in the protection of the built heritage of the State. While the powers of protection afforded to me under the National Monuments Acts are considered to be sufficiently strong, the question of carrying out a systematic review of the existing legislation to ensure the continued protection of our archaeological heritage is being considered in the context of the national heritage plan which will be published next year.
Notwithstanding the legislative powers available to me, there remains a problem with the continuing destruction of archaeological sites throughout the country. More often than not, this is done unwittingly but sometimes it occurs at the hands of unscrupulous developers. There is a need for better education and awareness which I am constantly striving to achieve through various initiatives which include an annual newsletter to all primary schools in the country. I am also looking at means by which the wildlife ranger service could be extended to cover monitoring of archaeological sites. I see some scope in developing alliances with local authorities and other local interest groups whereby they could assist in keeping a watch over local archaeological sites and monuments. These are initiatives which I intend to explore further in the context of the national heritage plan.
Has the Minister congratulated the archaeologist responsible for the prosecution of a farmer who was destroying an historic monument at Clonmacnois? It was the first case to be taken for a long time. I am delighted that there is somebody in the Department who is on the ball. I dread to think of all the monuments which are being destroyed by unscrupulous developers and landowners. Much of our heritage is being destroyed daily. What does the Minister propose to do about this? Does she have enough staff to ensure the 120,000 heritage sites are protected?
It is important that the National Monuments Acts are reviewed from time to time. We will have an opportunity to do this in the context of a national heritage plan. Ireland is a party to the 1992 European convention on the protection of the archaelogical heritage, the UNESCO convention on the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage, and the United Nations convention on the law of the sea which provides, inter alia, that states have a duty to protect objects of an archaeological and historical nature found at sea. There is a requirement that any person proposing to carry out works to a site that has been included in the Record of Monuments and Places must give me two months written notice of the proposed works. There is a need for vigilance.
Has the Minister studied the Clonmacnois case in which a farmer, despite being warned, was found demolishing an historic building?
I am aware of the case mentioned by the Deputy which was taken to court by officials of my Department. The protection of our archaeological heritage is a matter of great concern. There is a need to be vigilant and to involve local authorities and other local interest groups in keeping a watch over local archaeological sites and monuments. There will be an opportunity during the debate on the national heritage plan which will be published next year to consider how the mechanisms already in place can be strengthened.
