Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the costs incurred for projects (details supplied) in 2007 and to date in 2008, providing details on a county and project basis; the percentage of funding used for this purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10085/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 538: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of taxpayers' money being spent on a sector (details supplied), giving details of expenditure in this sector by his Department in 2007 and to date in 2008 on a county basis. [10461/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 504 and 538 together.

My Department spent over €23 million in 2007 on the protection of the national built heritage through a range of financial supports and the promotion of increased public awareness and appreciation of our unique architectural and archaeological heritage. The Department's National Monuments Service spent €2.6 million of this in the area of archaeological investigation and protection. This sum included expenditure on a number of excavations at or in relation to national monuments in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; excavations to investigate damage to particular monuments; post-excavation reports; archaeological publications and awareness raising, and the ongoing work of identification and designation of monuments by the Archaeological Survey of Ireland.

The €2.6 million provision was also used to fund specific projects such as the excavation of the Drogheda Boat medieval wreck in the River Boyne; the Woodstown Supplementary Research Project at the Viking Age national monument in Co. Waterford; the Monitoring of the Archaeological Monuments Programme Pilot Survey in Counties Clare, Roscommon and Waterford; the further development of the Archaeology in the Classroom Programme, and subventions, inter alia, to archaeological research undertaken on behalf of the Royal Irish Academy. The projected spend this year of some €3.6 million by the National Monuments Services includes an allocation of €1m for the new Irish National Archaeological Research (INSTAR) Programme, a dedicated archaeological research fund being administered on my Department's behalf by the Heritage Council.

Archaeological survey, which can range from a desk top survey to more detailed geophysical investigations or test excavation works, is an integral and standard element of most if not all site surveying for new construction works funded by my Department. Such surveys, and any subsequent investigative, recording or conservation works of an archaeological nature which may be necessary, are required to ensure that all development for which my Department is responsible through the provision of capital funding, is undertaken in accordance with the statutory requirements of all relevant national law, including the national monuments and planning and development legislative codes, and in line with archaeological best practice. This precautionary approach to national heritage operates across the major infrastructure programmes for which my Department is responsible including the provision of water and waste water infrastructure, social housing, fire services, libraries, social, voluntary and cooperative housing, certain natural and built heritage related facilities etc.

Given the range of funding programmes administered by my Department and the large number of projects, which are primarily administered by local authorities, information on the costs of archaeology on a county and project basis is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. However, my Department will endeavour to facilitate the Deputy with any available information in relation to any specific project with which it was involved.