Vol. 519 No. 7
119 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Roads Authority plans to curtail or eliminate monitoring known and unknown archaeological sites so as to keep costs and delays on new projects to a minimum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14769/00]
Officials from my Department are in discussions with the National Roads Authority with a view to agreeing a code of practice between both parties. The code is intended to form the basis of a framework within which the NRA will be able to proceed with its programme of work while carrying out appropriate archaeological mitigation having regard to a set of principles and actions agreed by both parties. It is my intention that the code will make provision for appropriate levels of archaeological monitoring on all major road construction projects and that where sites are discovered as a result of such monitoring that they will be investigated having regard to the provisions of the National Monuments Acts, 1930-1994 and my published policy and guidelines on archaeological excavations. The code should also have the effect of streamlining the archaeological mitigation process so as to legitimately keep costs and delays to the NRA to a minimum. Good progress is being made on agreeing a code and it is hoped that the discussions can be concluded without delay.
