The document summarizes the work of the Historic Monuments Unit, including its statutory functions, primary legislation, and advisory roles to other government departments. It outlines key work areas like managing state care monuments, statutory responsibilities around licensing and reporting, and maintaining the Sites and Monuments Record. The unit provides professional archaeological advice across policy formation, planning, development control, countryside management, and other areas. It faces challenges around meeting societal expectations, industry needs, and budget/procedural requirements, but also opportunities through historical anniversaries, climate change responses, the European Landscape Convention, and contributing to research.

1. The Work of Historic Monuments Unit
Dr John O’Keeffe

4. Work Area Statutory
Function of
the
Department
Primary
Legislation
Exercised through
other government
departments on advice
from NIEA
Policy-
based
Designation Regulation Advisory
Central Archive
(Sites and
Monuments
Record)
Arguably YES
This informs
all of our work
areas
HMAO YES YES YES YES
Survey YES YES YES
Acquisition and
Management of
State Care
Monuments
YES HMAO YES YES YES
Compilation of a
Schedule of
Historic
Monuments
YES HMAO YES YES YES
Management of
Scheduled
Monuments
YES HMAO YES YES YES YES
Licensing of
archaeological
excavations
YES HMAO YES YES YES YES
Reporting of
archaeological
objects
YES HMAO YES YES YES YES

5. Work Area Statutory
Function of
the
Department
Primary
Legislation
Exercised through
other government
departments on advice
from NIEA
Policy-
based
Designation Regulation Advisory
Treasure YES HMAO
Treasure Act
Treasure (Designation)
Order with parliament-
approved code for NI
YES YES YES YES
Development
Management
Planning (NI) Order
1991
General Development
(NI) Order 1993
+ amendments
+ other
YES YES YES YES
Strategic Spatial
Planning
Planning (NI) Order
1991
General Development
(NI) Order 1993
+ amendments
+ others
YES YES YES YES
Agri-
Environment /
Countryside
Management
Derived from EC
Regulations and NI
legislation
YES YES YES
Maritime
Heritage
YES HMAO
Protection of Wrecks
Act 1973
Merchant Shipping Act
1995
YES YES YES YES
Strategic
Environmental
Assessment
YES
EC Directive
2001/42/EC
NI Legislation
YES YES

6. PROFESSIONAL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
ADVICE
Dept. of Environment:
Policy Formation
Strategic Spatial Planning (e.g. Area Plans)
Operational Planning (e.g. Development Control)
Dept. of Enterprise, Trade and
Investment
Tourism, Energy, Mineral
Licences
Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development:
Policy Formation
Countryside Management
Agri-Environment
Forest/Woodland Planting
Rivers Management
Dept. of Social Development:
Policy Formation
Regeneration Projects
DCAL:
Policy Formation
Waterways and Canals
Development
Museums
Built Heritage and the Arts
Dept. of Regional Development:
Policy Formation
Infrastructural Development (e.g.
Roads/Water Schemes)
For example.....

7. Key Work Areas
• Management of State Care Monuments
Development of Craft Workforce
Augmentation of Capacity vis-à-vis site management
Enhanced Public Access and Participation
Key driver to society, economy and tourism
• Statutory Responsibilities
Management of Consents
Management of Licences
Processing of Treasure
Responding to Environmental Crime
• Maintenance of the Record
Ongoing Surveys and augmentation of the Record
Re-evaluation of the evidence
Public Access to the Information
• Continued Advisory Services to National Government, Assembly, Central
Departments, Local Government/Councils, Industry, Wider Society
Strategic Spatial Planning
Operational Development Management
Agri-Environment/Countryside Management
Care of the Government Estate
• Maintenance of Professional Standards and Effective Administration

8. Some gaps?
• The SMR is the fundamental hub.....but
lacks clear statutory basis?
(case law, custom and practice, broad
acceptance, a professional ‘norm’, does it
need any more?)
• Historic landscapes and the ELC?
• Position of devolved administrations vis-à
a-vis Conventions?

9. • Archaeological archives
Who is responsible?
• Works specifications
MEAT v BREAD
Professional Standards
• Affects broad section of the profession

11. The Australia ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places
(the Burra Charter, 1999)
defines conservation as:
“all the processes of looking after a place [i.e. an historic
monument] so as to retain its cultural significance”

15. Challenges/Opportunities
• Expectation of Wider Society
• Aspirations of Industry and Commerce
• Un-tapped potential
• Budgetary and Procedural Requirements
• Resources

23. Wrecks JIBS Navigation hazards / mobile substrate
www.science.ulster.ac.uk/cma/

31. Project Opportunities
• Key Historical Anniversaries
Centenary of the Great War
Partition of Ireland
Four Hundredth Anniversary of Plantation
Millennium of Clontarf
• Responding to Climate Change
‘Managed Retreat’
Realistic and deliverable strategies to enhance protection where it can be
achieved
Innovation in Energy Production
• European Landscape Convention
The management of positive change
Increasing public appreciation, understanding and participation in shared
environmental stewardship
Recognising the ‘ordinary’ alongside the ‘extraordinary’
• Contribution to Hard Research
Science, Arts, Humanities