Results 1-20 of 24 for peat speaker:John Gormley

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Carbon Budget: Statements (16 Dec 2010)

John Gormley: ...climate change policy. The tax has already been successfully applied to the use of petrol and diesel for transport and to gas and oil for residential use. Application to coal and commercial peat used in the residential sector was announced by the Minister for Finance in last year's budget and is subject to a commencement order. This order is to be triggered with the finalisation of a...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (16 Nov 2010)

John Gormley: ...collects statistics from planning authorities on the total number of EIA planning applications received in any year, but I am advised that these are not broken down by type of development such as peat extraction. I am not, therefore, in a position to provide the information requested in that regard. My Department does not have information regarding the number of Appropriate Assessments...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (4 Nov 2010)

John Gormley: ...planning authorities or national authorities, Directive 85/337/EEC as amended provides for environmental impact assessment (EIA) where there is likely to be a significant effect on the environment. Peat extraction is listed in Annex 2 of the Directive, making it a matter for Member States to determine the thresholds or criteria beyond which EIA is required before consent is necessary or...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (25 Feb 2010)

John Gormley: ...bogs. Holders of turbary rights who have been cutting turf for personal domestic use on the Natural Heritage Area (NHA) site in question are permitted to continue until the end of 2013. Commercial peat extraction has not been permitted on this site since its designation in 2004. As regards restrictions imposed as a result of designation, in 2009 I established an Inter-Departmental...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (17 Feb 2010)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 198, inclusive, together. I fully appreciate the importance of peat bogs as a carbon sink. My Department's Wind Energy Development Guidelines issued to planning authorities in June 2006, and available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie, provide comprehensive advice to planning authorities on catering for wind energy through the development...

Written Answers — River Basin Management: River Basin Management (19 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: ...that all contracts will be commissioned this year to enable timely delivery on requirements under the EU 'Floods' Directive. In relation to the Bog of Allen, the extraction and processing of peat is an activity controlled directly by the EPA through Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) licensing. The most recent EPA report on environmental enforcement shows that the level of...

Written Answers — Turf Cutting: Turf Cutting (3 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: ...Government, in connection with the implementation of the EU Directives on Environmental Impact Assessment, may prescribe that such development is not exempted development. Regulations provide that peat extraction above 10ha in new or extended areas is not exempted development. Such peat extraction below 10ha is also not exempted development within Special Areas of Conservation or Natural...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (12 Nov 2009)

John Gormley: ...include areas of active raised bog, which is a priority habitat under the Habitats Directive. Active raised bog is the area of the bog on which the indigenous flora are still growing and where peat is being actively formed. Ireland is required and has undertaken to protect the raised bog and active raised bog habitat within these designated areas and to restore the sites to favourable...

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (23 Sep 2009)

John Gormley: ...of 21 September 1999, in Case C-392/96. The measures also resulted in the withdrawal of further legal action against Ireland in Case C-294/03. Under the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 peat extraction was exempt from the requirement for planning permission in the case of: (a) a new or extended area of less than 10 hectares (b) a new or extended area of 10 hectares or more,...

Turbary Rights. (11 Mar 2009)

John Gormley: .... It is envisaged that cutting on blanket bog SACs and NHAs can continue, except in sensitive areas, under the current restrictions, which prohibit commercial extraction and the use of sausage peat cutting machines. Raised bogs occur predominantly in the midlands. There are over 1,500 raised bogs in the State, of which only 139 are designated for nature protection as SACs or NHAs. The...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (11 Dec 2008)

John Gormley: A small proportion of Ireland's peatland is designated for conservation purposes under the Habitats Directive or the Wildlife Acts. Landowners and holders of turbary rights on bogs within Special Areas of Conservation or Natural Heritage Areas can currently cut turf for their own domestic use. Since 1999, the use of "sausage" machines has not been permitted in these areas. However,...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: A small proportion of Ireland's peatlands is designated for conservation purposes under the Habitats Directive or the Wildlife Acts. Landowners and holders of turbary rights on blanket bogs within Special Areas of Conservation or Natural Heritage Areas can cut turf for their own domestic use. Since 1999, the use of sausage machines is not permitted in these areas. However, hoppers, or...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (24 Sep 2008)

John Gormley: ...raised and blanket bogs, which are priority natural habitats under the Directive, as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs). In order to protect the designated bogs, the ending of all peat extraction was originally proposed under these regulations. However, a derogation period of up to 10 years was allowed from 1999, in respect of domestic turf cutting from 32 raised bogs...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (9 Jul 2008)

John Gormley: ..., animals and plants in Ireland which have protected status under national and EU law. The Report highlights the pressures and threats that habitats and species face in Ireland including through peat cutting, overgrazing and undergrazing, pollution, unsustainable exploitation, and from alien species and recreational activity. My Department is working with the relevant stakeholders to...

Special Areas of Conservation. (9 Jul 2008)

John Gormley: ...as areas for conservation, including some raised and blanket bogs. The habitats directive was transposed into Irish law by the EC Natural Habitats Regulations 1997. Under these regulations, all peat extraction was proposed to be ended on designated bogs. However, a derogation period of up to ten years was introduced by the then responsible Minister in respect of domestic turf cutting....

Planning Issues. (9 Jul 2008)

John Gormley: ...action. The Commission set out some examples illustrating the failure to take enforcement action in Ireland and cited five particular examples relating to quarries and one each of a piggery, a peat bog, a hotel, a convention centre and a wood processing factory. Ireland argued that the existence of an exception power to grant retention permission represents a sensible fallback...

Special Areas of Conservation. (8 Jul 2008)

John Gormley: ...by turf cutting, but in more recent times by afforestation and overgrazing. Less than 1% of Ireland's original active raised bog — bog on which the indigenous flora are still growing and forming peat — remains. However, this tiny proportion represents 60% of western Europe's remaining raised bogs. This bogland is a priority habitat under the EU habitats directive. Ireland is obliged...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (25 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: ...put forward for designation. This site merits SAC status on the basis of three qualifying interests under the Directive — Active Raised Bog, Degraded Raised Bog and Rhynchosporian depressions on peat substrates. In March 1997, 86 landowners in the area proposed for designation were notified directly in writing and supplied with information on the scientific rationale for designation and...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: ...occurring where their farming activities are restricted as a result of designation of a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area. In terms of the cessation of peat extraction from designated bogs, the arrangements for compensation agreed with the farming representative organisations in 2004 continue in place.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 May 2008)

John Gormley: ..., animals and plants in Ireland which have protected status under national and EU law. The Report highlights the pressures and threats that habitats and species face in Ireland including through peat cutting, overgrazing and undergrazing, pollution, unsustainable exploitation, and from alien species and recreational pressure. The Report is important and highlights many substantial and...