Mr. Ian Doyle:

I thank the Deputy. Head 3 is entitled "Performance of functions". There are two very interesting principles in it. The first is (1)(b) which states: "the first option to be considered should be the protection in situ of historic heritage ...". In other words, leave it as it is. (1)(c) then speaks somewhat to the Deputy's point, in that "... [the] removal or alteration of historic heritage should be accompanied by all necessary and appropriate recording of such heritage". The approach there is that if something is to be removed, you try to offset or compensate by recording it and by increasing knowledge and understanding of it.

The Deputy is right in that the vast majority of monuments in our landscape are privately-owned. They are in privately-owned fields. What the State and local authorities own are merely the tip of the iceberg. The duty or liability on owners to maintain them is very limited at the moment. It is more on the basis of do no harm. Normal wear and tear, erosion and weathering generally are not the responsibility of owners. To support owners, we have for a number of years put in place a system of community archaeologists across the country. That is Clare, Galway, Sligo, south Dublin, Dublin city, Roscommon, Clare, Donegal and Wicklow this year. They work with farmers to give really clear, simple advice on managing monuments and trying to minimise damage. That kind of approach goes a long way with the farming community.