Vol. 506 No. 1
38 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the position regarding protection and salvage of wrecks off the Irish coast; if a full inventory of these vessels exists; if the State has any involvement in examination and recovery of items of historic or national interest therein; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14703/99]
The identification and protection of wrecks off the Irish coast is a matter of concern for my Department. A unit within the national monuments and historic properties service of my Department was set up in 1997 to produce a paper survey of these wrecks, and this has now been completed. A resultant publication is at present being edited and should be available next year. To date more than 8,000 wrecks have been identified by the unit.
The National Monuments Acts 1930-1994, provide measures to protect any particular wreck on account of its historical, archaeological or artistic importance. All dives on archaeological wrecks, being a wreck which is more than 100 years old, and on wrecks which have an underwater heritage order attached to them, are subject to licensing under the National Monuments Acts, and any alteration to or removal of artefacts from a wreck must be carried out under an excavation licence issued by my Department.
General matters relating to salvage and wreck in the State are governed by the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act, 1993, the administration of which rests primarily with my colleague, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources. Section 3(10) of the National Monument (Amendment) Act, 1994, empowers the Director of the National Museum of Ireland to request from the receiver of wrecks that a wreck which is an archaeological object or is removed from a restricted area, and where no claim of ownership has been established one year after it comes into the receiver's possession, to deliver the wreck to the director, or sell the wreck and deliver the proceeds, after payment of expenses, to the Minister for Finance.
