Results 10,701-10,720 of 16,679 for speaker:Peadar Tóibín

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I thank the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Ministers of State, Deputies Ring and Kyne, and their team for coming into us today. We apologise for the delay at the start. Sometimes there is a lot of internal business to be done and if we put it at the end, we would not have too many present to discuss it. I thank the Minister and Ministers of State for coming in. We appreciate it greatly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We will resume on public session to consider the topic of what it takes to maintain a viable rural community with officials from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Is that agreed? Agreed. I welcome the following witnesses to the meeting: Mr. Terry Allen, principal officer, and Mr. Paul Connolly, assistant principal officer, national monuments, from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Gabhaim buíochas leis an bhfinné as sin. I have a number of questions to address to Mr. Allen. This is one of the most important wrecks off the coast of Ireland. It has massive archaeological importance and is also a war grave because well over 1,000 people went down with the ship and were lost with it. I understand that typically the process that existed until very recently was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Who is the author of that report?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: He is an employee of Mr Bemis. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Mr. Allen indicated that there was a change in practice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Experts in the area have suggested the Department and the National Museum of Ireland have jointly insisted on a best-practice archaeological approach to all diving activity relating to the Lusitania in dealings with Mr. Bemis. Beforehand, there would have been a partnership arrangement. I find it difficult to understand why a change was made to the licence conditions at the 11th hour,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Mr. Allen mentioned that there could have been sub-aqua archaeologists who would have gone down but did not go down.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: There is a reason I am so interested in this particular issue. It is not only about the loss of the telegraph in question but also the precedent that this sets. Who made the decision?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: When was the decision made?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Was an archaeologist with Mr. Allen when that decision was made?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Were they present at that meeting with Mr Bemis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I do not see that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Section 5 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 includes the following:In respect of a national monument of which the Minister or a local authority are the owners or the guardians or in respect of which a preservation order is in force, it shall not be lawful for any person to do any of the following things in relation to such national monument:(a) to demolish or remove it wholly or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: If this does not have a precedent in respect of any other wreck, it could still be a precedent in respect of this boat in the future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: That would not be unique.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: My concern is not just about the fact that this is a break with precedent on the actuality of the licence itself, but also around how the licence was generated. The National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 states "The Minister shall consult in writing with the Director of the National Museum of Ireland before granting a consent under paragraph (a) of this subsection." Is this committee to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Despite the general tone of that letter, where the director clearly states that it was the 11th hour and the museum had not been au faitwith the licence conditions, is Mr. Allen is stating the museum had actually been given the full conditionality of the licence? How many days in advance would that have been?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: To give the committee a fuller picture, when he gets back to his office will Mr. Allen submit to the committee the response of the National Museum of Ireland to Mr. Allen's initial submission to the museum of the licence criteria? This will give us an understanding of that middle step.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Mar 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: They are all the questions I have on this issue. It is important to articulate there is a strong fear among the archaeological community and those who are interested in the heritage and history of the wrecks in the waters around Ireland, as well as anxiety that we ensure a maximalist view regarding the criteria and law to make sure this heritage is not lost to future generations. Many...