Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I would regard it as normal practice that the purchaser or his or her advisers would ascertain from the seller if there was a designation for conservation purposes on the land. The registration process can take quite a while to complete. Anybody purchasing land would be well advised to ascertain, through the auctioneer or solicitor handling the transaction, the position with regard to any SAC designation.

When SAC designations become final, following adoption by the European Commission and the making of a formal order by the Minister, it will be possible to register land formally as being covered by an SAC designation under the Registration of Title Act 1964. Under Regulation 14 of the habitats regulations, a person is required to seek my Department's consent before carrying out operations or activities likely to alter, damage, destroy or interfere with the integrity of an SAC site. This consent is dispensed with for activities or developments which require a licence or consent from another Minister or statutory body, such as a local authority or An Bord Pleanála in the case of planning applications, or the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in the case of decisions regarding the issue of foreshore licences.