Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"commends the Government's commitment and proactive approach in the delivery of the upgraded national roads network;

—notes the Government's commitment to the protection of our national heritage and the preservation of archaeological sites and features;

—notes the ongoing liaison between the NRA and the national monuments division of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in preserving our national heritage and with dealing with archaeological sites and features in accordance with best practice;

—notes that the roads programme is being implemented in full accord with the code of practice on archaeology for the national roads programme agreed with the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht in 2000;

—commends the National Roads Authority, NRA, on its commitment and investment in placing archaeologicalissues at the centre of the road planning process — evident in the discovery of so many previously unrecorded areas of historical-archaeological importance;

—notes that the national roads investment programme is being implemented as part of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and supports the objectives of the national spatial strategy;

—confirms the importance of the transport corridor that links north west, Cavan and north Meath to Dublin as one of the busiest in the country;

—notes that the Government investment in our road network is essential to provide for balanced regional investment and is delivering shorter, safer and superior road journeys;

—notes the comprehensive statutory public consultation procedures in place, under the Roads Act 1993, which are also being supplemented by extensive non-statutory local consultations by road authorities; and

—emphasises the importance of public private partnerships in harnessing the necessary skills and finance to support the earlier completion of the Government's ambitious national road infrastructure targets."

I am pleased to have the opportunity tonight to outline this Government's commitment to the protection of our national heritage and the preservation of archaeological sites and features. The ongoing liaison between my Department, the National Roads Authority and the national monuments division of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government to preserve our national heritage and deal with archaeological sites and features in accordance with best practice is also based on the code of practice on archaeology for the national roads programme agreed by the NRA and the then Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands in 2000. The NRA continues to demonstrate its commitment and investment in placing archaeological issues at the centre of the road planning process — evident in the discovery of so many previously unrecorded areas of historical and archaeological importance and indeed through the employment of archaeologists. Archaeological works conducted to date along the route of the M3, including test trenching, are being carried out in accordance with appropriate statutory authorisation — licences under section 26 of the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended.

The M3 route is a significant distance from the Hill of Tara national monument and, accordingly, the works to date do not require a special consent under section 14 of the Act, which concerns works or other activities that could impact on a national monument. In the event of archaeological features being discovered along the line of the motorway which are of national or international significance and which would warrant classification as a national monument, both Meath County Council and the NRA would seek the appropriate consent from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The role of An Bord Pleanála, which concluded its oral hearing on this project in November 2002 after sitting for 28 days, the longest ever hearing for a national roads scheme, further supports the independent appraisal of the impact of the roads programme on issues including impact on archaeological sites and features. The hearing dealt at length with archaeological issues. The inspector concluded as follows in his report to the board:

Having regard to all of the evidence given at the hearing and the cross-examination on the archaeology impacts in the Tara/Skreen area presented at the hearing and to the details set out in the EIS, I am satisfied that the route as proposed would not have a significant impact on the archaeological landscape associated with the Hill of Tara, as indicated by the area designated as the core zone on the RMP Map SK 500. I also consider that the route proposed will not impact significantly on the archaeological landscape associated with the Hill of Skreen.

I am also pleased to have this opportunity tonight to highlight how this Government's continued commitment to investment in our roads network is providing a high quality national roads infrastructure that is contributing to the ongoing development of our national economy, providing further opportunities for regional development, safer roads, shorter and more reliable travel times and enhancing our quality of life.

Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and the objectives of the national spatial strategy, the ambitious national roads investment programme has seen investment of over €5 billion to the end of 2003. The Government's commitment to national road infrastructure is further underpinned with the €8 billion investment between Exchequer funding and public private partnership investment over the period 2004-08 announced under the multi-annual funding plan provisions in the last budget. The results of these commitments, including over €1.1 billion in the BMW regions, are already evident to all, with bottlenecks all over the country being removed, offering relief to many of our towns and villages. Projects that have been completed include the M1 from Dublin to Dundalk, bypasses of Kildare, Monasterevin and Cashel, phase one of the N7 Limerick southern ring road, the N22 Ballincollig bypass and the N11 from Ashford to Rathnew, to name but a few. Work continues on many other projects, including the bypasses of Fermoy, Ennis, Loughrea, Mullingar, Cavan, Ballyshannon and Bundoran, Kinnegad and Enfield, the Sligo inner relief road, the Dublin Port tunnel and the south eastern motorway, which will complete the M50 from the M1 to the M11. Planning is under way on projects such as the widening of the M50 and provision of free-flow interchanges, the Waterford city bypass, and the road from Kinnegad to Athlone.

Deputy Quinn mentioned the Waterford bypass, with which I am familiar. The problem is that everyone I meet in Waterford thinks that the ruins of Pompeii have been found, with entire buildings being dug up. That is completely untrue and it has discredited good work in so many different ways. I have spoken to many of the archaeologists from all points of view and they are pleased with the pace of work there. Like everyone else, I want a full excavation but the context has moved to preserving this site forever so millions of people can come to look at it. There is nothing to see unless the viewer is an archaeologist in the company of an archaeologist who can explain the site. It is meaningless. The artefacts are important and I take the point that the context of their find is equally important. Saving those artefacts, which have been given to the National Museum and will be put on display in time, is what is really happening.

Most people in Waterford think the situation is completely different. This is where problems start, when people get the facts wrong and present them in a distorted way.

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