Shipwrecks with no known owner will become State property under new legislation which Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan is proposing.
The legislation also proposes that commercial salvage law does not apply to historic wrecks.
The Monuments and Archaeological Bill intends to revise and replace the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014.
It was presented by Noonan on Thursday evening to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The Department of Housing said the proposed Bill seeks to introduce new measures to protect archaeological structures and sites.
Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan
It will include the establishment of a single register of monuments, a statutory reporting scheme for newly discovered monuments and provisions to prevent the illicit import and possession of stolen cultural property.
“Another innovative element of the proposed Bill is to incorporate historic wrecks and underwater cultural archaeological objects into the new scheme for monument protection,” it said.
“The proposed Bill will also enable the State to ratify and give effect to several important international conventions relating to the protection of cultural heritage,” the department said.
Multiple amendments to the National Monuments Act 1930, along with multiple transfers of functions, have resulted in “fragmented legislation which is far from easily accessible and comprehensible”, it explained.
“The proposed legislation aims to address a range of structural issues, simplify terminology, as well as provide a single accessible piece of legislation,” the department said.
“This proposed Bill will modernise existing legislation protecting monuments and archaeology – some of this legislation dates back to the 19th century,” Noonan said.
“ If enacted, this legislation will substantially strengthen protection of archaeological heritage for the enjoyment of future generations and also represent major progress on the protection of our built heritage,” he said.
He referred to the department’s recent publication of a Vernacular Strategy to protect traditional buildings.
He said there were plans to launch “Heritage Ireland 2030” in the coming weeks, as in a “new national heritage plan to provide a vision and backdrop to realise our full set of ambitions for Ireland’s built, natural and archaeological heritage”.
