Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 includes action 6.1.5, which is to implement the national peatland strategy, and action 6.1.6, which is to implement the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022. That plan was published in December 2017 and sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed, conserved and restored and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The national restoration programme for Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas is contained within this plan. It is intended to restore all designated raised bogs within three cycles, with the first cycle operating for the duration of this management plan. Site specific conservation objectives have been published for the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation and restoration plans have been drafted for all sites to be developed further in partnership with stakeholders, including landowners and local communities. Site-specific restoration plans for the raised bog natural heritage areas are also being developed by my Department.

To help allay concerns relating to the potential impacts of restoration on areas of land adjacent to the designated bogs, my Department is in the process of developing drainage management plans for the special area of conservation sites as part of the national restoration programme. Work on this programme has already begun with a €5.4 million project called The Living Bog which is funded under the EU L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement, LIFE, programme. My Department manages this project and contributes €1.352 million with the European Commission providing €4.56 million. The Living Bog project commenced in 2016 and will conclude at the end of 2020. It aims to restore favourable conservation conditions and increase the area for active raised bog by 277 ha, approximately 58%, on the 12 raised bog special area of conservation project sites. This will contribute to the national objective of achieving favourable conservation status for the active raised bog. Contracts are in place for drain-blocking works on six out of the 12 sites with the remainder of the contracts due to issue in early 2019.

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