Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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643. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to introduce the portable antiquities scheme in order for constructive metal detecting to complement regular archaeological work, reduce the heritage budget and increase archaeological knowledge, in view of the fact that archaeologists concede that items left in the soil will, over time, degrade and in the case of plough soil will be completely fragmented and destroyed. [18456/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Measures to regulate the use of metal detectors were introduced in the National Monuments Act (Amendment) 1987 to protect our archaeological heritage from the irreparable damage and loss which results from indiscriminate use of metal detectors to search for archaeological objects. The 1987 Act sets out the statutory provisions in relation to the general use of metal detectors to search for archaeological objects on any lands and the particular requirements applying to their use or possession on protected monuments and archaeological sites. My Department, in co-operation with the National Museum of Ireland, has published guidelines setting out advice to the public on use of detection devices and their impact on our archaeological heritage. The guidelines are available on my Department’s website and are also available in museums, libraries, local authority offices, etc. The guidelines explain both the provisions of the relevant legislation and the reasons why it was enacted in 1987. The 1987 Act does not prohibit the use of metal detectors for archaeological purposes, rather it ensures that such use takes place in a regulated manner, subject to appropriate safeguards.

I am satisfied that the current legislation is both reasonable and proportionate and I have no proposals to introduce the type of scheme envisaged by the Deputy.