Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to ensure that Ireland complies with the environmental impact assessment directive 1, including the bringing in of legislation that will require environmental impact assessments for significant archaeological finds and the need to ensure proper environmental impact assessments for proposed incinerators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28699/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Part 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 as amended implements the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, 85/337/EEC, as amended. The prescribed classes of development that require EIS are listed in Schedule 5 of the regulations. Incinerators are included in these classes of development. The regulations set out the information to be contained in the EIS and the procedures that planning authorities, or An Bord Pleanála, follow when a planning application accompanied by an EIS is submitted.

Schedule 6 of the regulations sets out the information to be contained in an EIS and specifies that it must include 'a description of the aspects of the environment likely to be significantly affected by the proposed development, including in particular — material assets, including the architectural and archaeological heritage, and the cultural heritage'.

As indicated in the reply to Question No. 161 of 25 October 2007, there is a commitment in the Programme for Government to maximise and clarify the protection provided to our archaeological heritage. On foot of this commitment I have initiated a comprehensive review, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, of archaeological policy and practice in Ireland. It is my intention, following the review, to bring forward any necessary measures, including legislative proposals, to enhance the protection we afford to our archaeological heritage.