The director of the National Museum, Dr Pat Wallace, is to report to the Minister for the Environment before the end of the month on two key archaeological sites that are threatened by road construction.
Dr Wallace met the Minister, Dick Roche, yesterday to discuss the likely impact of the M3 motorway in Co Meath on the Hill of Tara and the Waterford bypass on the recently discovered Woodstown Viking settlement.
A spokeswoman for the Minister said Dr Wallace had agreed to report back to Mr Roche in the coming weeks and the Minister will make a decision soon after.
While Mr Roche has already signalled his intention to issue a preservation order for the 1,200-year-old Woodstown site, he has yet to reveal his thinking on the M3. Dr Wallace's report could prove critical in this regard.
Dr Wallace was asked by senior officials in the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism to refrain from giving evidence last month to an Oireachtas committee on the M3 controversy. Opposition TDs claimed he had been subjected to a "gagging order". However, the Department of the Environment said it would be "bizarre" for Dr Wallace to give evidence to the Oireachtas committee before advising Mr Roche on the matter.
In the end, Dr Wallace did not give evidence to the Oireachtas committee on the M3 dispute before meeting Mr Roche.
Under the National Monuments Act, the Minister has the authority to direct how individual archaeological sites are preserved, including the power to insist that artefacts remain in situ.
The National Roads Authority has said that, if necessary, it may be possible to move a specific section of the road without going through the planning process from the start.
Meanwhile, the Save Tara Skryne Valley Group revealed yesterday that it had asked US ambassador to Ireland James C. Kenny to act as a "a third-party mediator" in the M3 dispute. The written invitation was sent to Mr Kenny on February 23rd, shortly after a solicitor's letter was sent from the group to Mr Roche.
"We hope the ambassador will help us with this matter and that the Minister will participate. The Government has a duty to mitigate damages in the event of a dispute in a publicly funded capital infrastructure project and arbitration is the normal industry mechanism for resolving such a dispute," said Vincent Salafia on behalf of the Save Tara Skryne Valley Group.
"In addition to his involvement in the construction industry [ in the US], Mr Kenny has found time to devote to public and community service.
"Third-party intervention is being sought in an attempt to avoid litigation and resolve this Tara/M3 issue out of court. All attempts by Mr Salafia and the group to meet Minister Roche have been rebuffed," said a statement from the group.
However, a spokeswoman for the American embassy in Dublin said it would be "inappropriate" for the ambassador to intervene on this matter. "This is a matter for the Irish authorities," she said.
It is thought that the group will seek another mediator if, as seems likely, Mr Kenny declines.
