Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 21 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 1

Written Answers. - Architectural Heritage.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

133 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of ring forts on a county by county basis which are preserved or protected; the number of any such locations deemed to be at risk; the action or actions proposed to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5173/01]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

The record of monuments and places contains information on in excess of 120,000 sites. Given the volume of the information contained in the record, the Deputy will understand that it is not possible for me to extract the details he is seeking within the time available. I am, however, arranging to forward to the Deputy a complete county by county list of the numbers of monuments recorded under each category.

All sites entered in the record of monuments and places enjoy the protection of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994. The National Monument Acts, 1930-1994, enable me to intervene in any case of threat to a monument which comes to my notice and, if necessary, to pursue the matter through the courts. It is not possible to say what number of such monuments are at risk. The main risk to these field monuments is from development.

My Department operates in conjunction with the local authorities to ensure that these sites are afforded protection from adverse development through the planning and development Acts in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development on the administration of the REP scheme and other agricultural incentives and with the National Roads Authority through the recently concluded code of practice on archaeology.