Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Amendment No. 17 seeks to amend the proposed new section 167 on guidelines for local authorities. I welcome this new section following the engagement the Minister of State had on previous Stages with Senator Higgins. One issue is that in subsection (1) there seems to be a blanket provision that in drawing up guidelines on historic heritage for local authorities, the Minister can consult with whomever he or she likes. This could mean developers or business lobbyists, for example, whose primary concern is not the protection of our archaeological heritage. My amendment would stipulate that the persons must have requisite qualifications or expertise in archaeology, history, culture, architectural protection or protection of natural and built heritage. This is a much more appropriate provision.

One issue that has been widely spoken to is the destruction of our ring forts. The last survey on the destruction of archaeological sites carried out by the Heritage Council in 2001, which surveyed 1.4% of all known monuments in the State, found that 34% of ring forts had been destroyed since first recorded in ordnance surveys beginning in the 1820s.The rate of destruction increased over decades, reaching 6.5% in the late 1990s. My amendment seeks to ensure that developer-led destruction is not allowed to happen again and is guarded against in this legislation.