Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The current position is that Meath County Council has applied to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for directions as to the carrying out of archaeological works associated with the M3 approved road project.

The archaeologists employed by Meath County Council on this project operate to the highest professional standards. The use of test trenching is part of the comprehensive and proactive strategy for dealing with archaeology on the route that was submitted to An Bord Pleanála during the oral hearing process. The test trenching process and other archaeological evaluation methods have been the subject of a published study undertaken by the Oxford archaeological unit co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, entitled Evaluation of Archaeological Decision-making Processes and Sampling Strategies. The study concluded:

All non-intrusive methods of site evaluation had merits ... and were all comparatively cheap, but they all had some serious failings and none were even moderately successful at evaluating the range of archaeological remains that survived. Machine trenching was the only effective means of predicting the character of the sites in this study and even though it was more expensive than other methods, the improved quality of information and greater certainty from which to devise a mitigation strategy made it cost effective.

The test trenching on the route of the M3 project was carried out by archaeologists who were familiar with the results of the previous surveys undertaken along the route. The purpose of these archaeological investigations is to identify new sites along the route. Those discovered are reported to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and will be dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Minister. Rather than losing sites, this work is adding to the archaeological record long-forgotten sites that have no visible presence in the landscape.

This project is being implemented as a public private partnership. Attracting private financing and ensuring we can benefit from better allocation of risk between the public and private sectors while also availing of private sector project management expertise and design innovation in major road projects was central to the policy set out in the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Some €245 million will be made available by the private sector in 2005 through PPP investment. The Clonee-Kells project is one of ten key PPP projects of which three are already under construction. Attracting private investment and international private sector project management and design expertise means that the NRA can deliver large, key projects which are essential elements of the national roads programme more efficiently and more quickly than the traditional methods of financing and constructing road schemes which rely exclusively on the Exchequer as the source of funding. A further key element of the PPP programme is rigorous assessment of proposals from planning, design and value for money perspectives, not least to satisfy the due diligence requirements of financial institutions.

This Government's commitment to the roads programme is not just about concrete and tarmac or the undoubted quality of the workmanship that we can all see as our new roads are opened. At the core of this programme is our absolute commitment to making sure we have lasting foundations in place to protect and grow employment in every part of the country. When the roads programme is completed, Ireland will, for the first time, have a modern infrastructure to support economic and social life. At a time when commitment to balanced development has never been greater, the roads programme allows the regions to prosper. Investment in our roads is an investment in the future of our country and a statement of confidence in the future of communities throughout the country.

As I have already stated, I as Minister for Transport, particularly in the light of my experience as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, am firmly committed to ensuring that investment in the national roads programme is planned and implemented in a manner which ensures the protection of our national heritage and archaeological sites and features. I am committed to ensuring that the NRA works proactively with the national monuments division of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in ensuring that archaeological issues arising on national roads projects are resolved in accordance with best practice. In recent years the archaeological work carried out under the national roads programme has made a massive contribution to our store of knowledge about our past and I want to ensure we implement the national roads investment programme in a manner which minimises any adverse impacts on the environment and as far as possible protects our national heritage.

May I share time with Deputy O'Connor? I apologise for omitting to say this earlier.

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