Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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693. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action being taken to address the desecration of historical sites throughout the country with particular reference to recent events; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3469/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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All known archaeological monuments, of which there are in excess of 130,000, are entitled to protection under the National Monuments Acts.  Protection may be extended to previously unrecorded monuments by my Department entering them in the Register of Historic Monuments or the Record of Monuments and Places.  The Acts also allow me to make a preservation order where I consider a national monument to be at risk.

As Minister, I am the owner or guardian under the National Monuments Acts of approximately 1,000 national monuments located at approximately 750 sites.  Maintenance of such monuments is undertaken on my behalf by the Office of Public Works.  Local authorities are responsible under the Acts for maintaining the national monuments of which they are owners or guardians. 

My Department also liaises regularly with the utility and infrastructure providers and has agreed codes of practice with a number of these agencies aimed at safeguarding archaeological sites and monuments. In addition, awareness programmes are in place with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc and farm organisations that are aimed at raising awareness in relation to farming and archaeology.

Notwithstanding the wide ranging legal provisions and other programmes in place, damage to archaeological sites and monuments does occur from time to time. My Department records all reports of damage to recorded monuments. Such reports usually emanate from members of the public, local authorities or heritage-based NGOs.  Cases involving alleged wilful damage to monuments are followed up in liaison with An Garda Síochána and prosecutions initiated where appropriate. There have been a number of convictions for such offences in recent years.

Protected structures are covered separately under the Planning and Developments Acts and local authorities have the appropriate enforcement measures in these cases.