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Archaeological Sites

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 May 2019

Wednesday, 15 May 2019

Ceisteanna (268)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

268. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to ensure that a site (details supplied) will be afforded the status of preservation in situ as opposed to preservation by record in view of the fact that a Bronze Age burial site and settlement has been discovered at the site; her further plans to ensure that the site is protected from development in order that the archaeological findings may be preserved for the benefit of the wider community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21170/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions 518, 519, 520 and 522 of 14 May 2019.

Archaeological test excavations, licensed by my Department under the National Monuments Acts, were carried out on the site by privately engaged consultant archaeologists. Archaeological assessments are a normal part of the pre-planning phases of new development proposals. The objective of such assessments is to verify that an appropriate approach is taken in relation to any archaeological material that may be present.

The assessment in this case, comprising of a geophysical survey and archaeological test excavations, identified the presence of a subsurface archaeological enclosure in one area of the development site. In light of these findings, my Department subsequently approved a licensed excavation of the enclosure site in accordance with the provisions of the National Monuments Acts.

The excavation licence provided for the archaeological excavation and recording of the archaeological enclosure. While my Department received an interim progress report during the course of the excavation work, a standard condition of all such licences requires a formal report to be submitted to both the Department’s National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland setting out the results of the excavations and subsequent scientific analysis. The licensee is also required to publish a concise account of the excavation on the excavations.ie website.

The National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland will receive the preliminary report of the excavation findings in the coming weeks and a final report will be submitted in due course. I will be happy to share these reports with the Deputy when they are received in my Department.

Under the Planning and Development Acts, planning authorities also refer development proposals that may impact on archaeological heritage to my Department for comment so that recommendations may be made, as appropriate, to avoid or mitigate any such impacts. My Department has recently responded to such a referral in relation in this case and has asked for further information to be obtained from the applicant with regard to the results of the archaeological assessment carried out to date and of such further assessment as may be appropriate in relation to the work to which the planning application relates. The Department has also recommended that the applicant be asked to undertake an Ecological Impact Assessment and Bat Survey of the site. My Department will respond as appropriate on receipt of further information from the planning authority.

Any submission made by a prescribed body to a planning authority may be taken into consideration by the authority when making its determination on a planning application. The final decision is, however, a matter for the planning authority itself.

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