Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While people will have the opportunity to appeal a designation, it must be based on scientific evidence. It is now admitted that the initial scientific evidence used in designating NHAs was flawed. I also believe the scientific evidence in designating the SACs was flawed. Will the Minister agree the Fernandez report should not be the basis for making any designations and should be thrown out? Will he agree that it is a damning indictment of the NPWS, National Parks & Wildlife Service, that on its own bog, Lough Forbes, where there was no turf-cutting, only one tenth of the active raised bog is left in place? It should be noted at sites where turf is being cut, that the bogs have more than doubled. Will he agree the approach taken to date is fundamentally wrong? Will he go back to the Commission, hold up his hands and admit we used flawed evidence to designate these bogs and revisit the designations using real scientific evidence?

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