The case referred to relates to an archaeological excavation carried out in advance of construction of a house. The requirement to carry out such archaeological excavation arose from the conditions of the relevant grant of planning permission.
The role of my Department in the case was firstly, as a statutory consultee in the planning process, to advise the planning authority regarding possible archaeological implications and, secondly, to deal with the application for an archaeological excavation licence under section 26 of the National Monuments Act 1930. I understand that, in the course of both the planning and licensing processes, my Department did note to relevant parties the archaeological potential of the lands in question.
As is standard, the archaeological excavation licence was granted on the basis that the licence applicant had secured funding from the appropriate source. Any contractual arrangements in that regard are clearly a matter for the parties concerned. As is also standard, the archaeological excavation licence in question was granted subject to a set of conditions, including ones relating to the carrying out of post-excavation analysis and the preparation of reports. The licence having been granted, the role of my Department is now primarily to assess compliance with the conditions of the licence based on submitted reports, rather than to direct the carrying out of post-excavation work.
Within that framework, my Department is nevertheless aware of the extensive archaeological remains found in the course of the excavations and their potential to be of especial significance and sensitivity. My Department will therefore engage further with the relevant parties with a view to facilitating an appropriate outcome. I am not in a position to provide an exact time-scale for this, but I can assure the Deputy that the matter has the full attention of my Department.
