TaraWatch

Minister for the Environment, John Gormley of the Green Party, recveives his Seal of Office (June 2007)

Gormley begins archaeological policy review

The Irish Times – Thursday, October 25, 2007

Frank McDonald, Environment Editor

Measures to strengthen protection of archaeological heritage, rolling back a more liberal regime introduced by the 2004 National Monuments (Amendment) Act, are likely to emerge from a major review of archaeological policy and practice.

The review, commissioned by Minister for the Environment John Gormley, got under way yesterday with a wide-ranging seminar in the National Botanic Gardens attended by archaeologists and campaigners for a greater level of protection.

“Soon after entering office, I promised I would review archaeological policy and practice”, he said, adding that the aim was to make policy towards protecting our archaeological heritage “the best there can be”, drawing on experts both at home and abroad.

“I am resolute that when this process is finalised [by the middle of next year] we will have a policy in place which will be the best internationally and which will afford our very valuable built heritage the protection it so richly deserves”, he said.

The primary focus of the review, Mr Gormley said, will be to examine whether national monuments legislation needs to be strengthened and how archaeological practices should be improved in the context of infrastructure development, such as major road schemes.

This has been prompted by Mr Gormley’s realisation, following the discovery of the prehistoric Lismullin henge on the M3 motorway route near Tara, that there were “some gaps in how we deal with archaeological finds in certain circumstances”.

In an issues paper posted on the Department of the Environment’s new website (www.archaeology.ie) Mr Gormley said the aim of the current series of seminars was to give all stakeholders an opportunity to make their views known on the scope of the review.

Under the 1999 Framework and Principles for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, published by then minister Síle de Valera, the National Monuments Acts were to be “used to the fullest possible extent . . . to secure the protection of the archaeological heritage”. The policy then laid down said there would be “a presumption in favour of the avoidance of developmental impacts on the archaeological heritage” and that the preservation in situ of sites and monuments was to be the “preferred option”.

However, the 2004 amendment to National Monuments legislation, spearheaded by then minister for the environment Martin Cullen, significantly changed this policy to ensure that archaeology would not get in the way of major infrastructure development.

The review will also examine whether the current “very complex” system of registering monuments of archaeological, architectural, historical or other cultural interest should be replaced by a single list as the principal mechanism to protect them in the future.

[TaraWatch press release below]

PRESS RELEASE

TARAWATCH.org

24 October 2007

‘Review of Archaeological Policy and Practice in Ireland Welcomed’

TaraWatch welcomes the invitation by Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, to participate in the review of archaeological policy and practice in Ireland, which begins today in the Botanic Gardens, Dublin.

However, TaraWatch does not accept the position maintained by Minister Gormley, in which he continues to claim he has no power to change the archaeological policy and practice operating on the M3 motorway at the Hill of Tara.

This morning, Minister Gormley, in his opening address, warned that he has received reports of other potential problems on motorway routes currently in development. He stated, “…some of the road developments put the M3 in the shade.”

This is another clear attempt to downplay the significance of the Hill of Tara, Ireland’s premier national monument, as well as the decision of the European Commission to initiate legal proceedings against Ireland over the national monuments acts.

Vincent Salafia is participating in the current review, on behalf of TaraWatch, and will make a number of submissions regarding the flaws in archaeological policy and practice in Ireland. These will include:

- greater investment in heritage protection and promotion needed
- lack of independent assessment to inform decision-making must change
- lack of participation by public bodies, such as Coillte, in the public process for capital infrastructure developments, must change.
- arbitration or dispute resolution mechanisms, which would avoid lengthy and costly litigation, must be put in place.

Vincent Salafia said:

“We do not accept the Minister’s claim that he has no powers in relation to Tara. He could draft a piece of legislation tomorrow morning to protect it if he wanted to. This conference is proof of that.

“The review is a step in the right direction, but one gets the sense that this is more about preventing heritage from interfering with development, rather than stopping develoment interfering with heritage.

“Solving the immediate problems, now recognised by the European Commission at Tara, will set a precedent and go a long way towards preventing future problems at other important heritage sites.

“We are participating in good faith, but it is hard to be convinced of the Minister’s sincerity when he clearly cut a deal on Tara to get into office in the first place.

ENDS