Under the 1930 National Monuments Act, a national monument
“means a monument or the remains of a monument the preservation of which is a matter of national importance by reason of the historical, architectural, traditional, artistic, or archaeological interest attaching thereto and also includes (but not so as to limit, extend or otherwise influence the construction of the foregoing general definition) every monument in Saorstát Eireann to which the Ancient Monuments Protection Act, 1882, applied immediately before the passing of this Act, and the said expression shall be construed as including, in addition to the monument itself, the site of the monument and the means of access thereto and also such portion of land adjoining such site as may be required to fence, cover in, or otherwise preserve from injury the monument or to preserve the amenities thereof”
Under Section 8 of the National Monuments Act (as amended), should a structure that meets this definition be in danger of destruction, injury or removal, then I may place a Temporary Preservation Order or Preservation Order on it, which will ensure its preservation. In the period in question, my Department has taken such action in one case. In general, my Department's policy and practice is to work with the owners of monuments that may be at risk with a view to arriving at agreed solutions that best secure the longterm conservation of the individual monument.
Currently there are in excess of 1,000 national monuments in my ownership or guardian as Minister that are managed on my behalf by the Office of Public Works. In other cases, it may be appropriate for my Department to acquire monuments that meet the definition of national monument in order to ensure their long-term conservation. There has been one such acquisition in the period referred to. Following acquisition, the Office of Public Works then becomes responsible for the day-to-day management and care of the monument.
In all cases where a monument is to become subject to a Preservation Order, or where it is to be acquired by the State, my decision is based on the advice of the Department's Chief Archaeologist and on legal advice as necessary.
From time to time, my Department is asked to consider the acquisition of particular monuments or sites for the purposes of the National Monuments Acts. While statistics relating to such requests are not readily available, every case is carefully considered in consultation with the Office of Public Works, including an assessment of the characteristics of the site and of the acquisition, and a determination made in each instance.
