Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

This amendment to the National Monuments Acts 1930 and 1994 is necessary to clarify certain matters relating to the division of responsibilities between the Ministers concerned, namely, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Minister for Finance together with the Commissioners of Public Works. This is an aspect of the Bill which many speakers have overlooked and have not addressed. They have focused on Carrickmines and on future roadworks. The break-up of the former Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht was a major step backwards. That Department was developing and was forming a distinctive, cohesive approach to our culture and heritage. However, just as it was becoming effective, it was scrapped.

There is major confusion as to which Department is responsible for different areas. The cohesion which was developing under the former Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht is no longer there. A previous speaker mentioned a conflict of interest in regard to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government because on the one hand, it is all about building roads, housing schemes and sanitary facilities while on the other, it is about protecting the environment. The Minister said the Bill is about trying to strike the balance between economic development and the protection of archaeological remains. That will be difficult for him and I see difficulties ahead for this Bill and for this approach.

Overall consideration will have to be given to how we deal with heritage, including the protection of national monuments. What people fail to understand is that not every monument in this country is a national one. Some monuments are in State care while others are not even listed. We should be careful and protective of our rich heritage which has been left to us as a result of several waves of immigration over the past 10,000 or so years. Throughout the world, Ireland is regarded as a country that is rich in archaeology and artefacts from the past. Many tourists come to this country because of our archaeology and landscape and it is important we protect them.

I welcome the provision in the Bill to allow the road at Carrickmines to go ahead. Were it not for the roadworks we would not have unearthed the rich archaeological site at Carrickmines and it would not have been excavated to the extent it was. It is worth noting that up to 130 archaeologists were employed at Carrickmines at a cost of approximately €20 million, as was mentioned by the Minister. Only 10% of the site will be affected by this major road. The artefacts discovered at Carrickmines will be on public display in the National Museum of Ireland or elsewhere. Perhaps it might be a good idea to provide an exhibition centre at Carrickmines in that it could be another attraction.

I agree with what is happening in regard to the M50 motorway. This Bill enables the Minister to ensure important infrastructure, such as the M3 from Clonee to Kells in County Meath and the Waterford ring road, which will face difficulty given the discovery of the oldest Viking settlement in Ireland, can be developed. I am sure every speaker would agree it is important that proper archaeological excavations are carried out, that they are not conducted in a rushed fashion and that modern technology is used to ensure we do not damage the rich archaeological heritage beneath the surface throughout the country.

We have become a little careless in regard to our national monuments. It is almost a regular occurrence that monuments in State care, in particular, can be interfered with. Nobody is taking responsibility for the implementation of legislation at local level. Local authorities have, to some extent, been given responsibility, but it has not been fully clarified and they have not been given the resources. There is, for example, a heritage officer in most counties but he or she has many responsibilities. Some counties have appointed archaeologists. There is much work to be done and most of these archaeologists are tied up with some of the major infrastructural work going on throughout the country. Some monuments which are not in State care are being damaged but nobody is responsible for them. These monuments may become national monuments when we have taken care of existing ones. That is a major issue.

I repeat the point I made earlier that when the former Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht was in place there was a greater focus, more cohesion and confidence.

Responsibility for our heritage is being dispersed over a number of Departments. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is not the appropriate one to have responsibility for this matter. A serious overview must be taken of how we should proceed in this area in the future. I hope future legislation will reflect that.

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