Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator mentioned a period of 12 years. It might have been mentioned in the media and in the ether, but the consultation period has not been 12 years. The consultation process followed the 2014 national heritage area review. The Senator is right in the sense that there has been engagement or that discussion has been ongoing for a long period. It was rather problematic and difficult and caused much public concern. There was engagement with officials in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, while there were some difficult situations in respect of turf cutting, as the Senator would have seen in the media. To be honest, the approach taken was not ideal, but the level of engagement increased and led to the review that took place which Senator Higgins supported in how it was enacted.

The approach taken stems from a recommendation made by Deputy Ó Cuív on Committee Stage in the Dáil. Any earlier proposal arising from a review would have been subject to a strategic environmental assessment and public consultation before the Minister would have been able to formally propose new sites for designation or designate or partially designate blanket bogs as natural heritage areas. It is envisaged that any review of the blanket bog NHA network will take place in the context of the development of a management system for blanket bogs. Consultation with local stakeholders will be required in advance of scientific fieldwork taking place on special area of conservation sites.

The review of NHA status for raised bogs was part of the process of relocation. The recommendation in respect of the de-designation of parts of larger bogs impacted on the most or those that offered the least benefit to the conservation of the overall habitat of a given bog was made with a view to protecting the majority of it. The idea was to try to relocate people from certain areas to bogs with less favourable status. Any review of the NHA status of blanket bogs will involve a similar approach. I cannot predict what will happen when the experts carry out reviews, but I anticipate a similar approach being taken. There are areas of blanket bogs that have been degraded greatly by active turf cutting. There are other areas that have been impacted on less and still others that have been untouched. There may be areas that have not been designated but could be as part of a review. Again, we need to look at State lands, as we did in NHA designations. It would all be part of a process in looking at special areas of conservation. The Bill does not allow for de-designation of SACs, but in a review of SAC blanket bogs that we will be obliged to undertake by the European Commission we will look at the overall package of blanket bogs, including those which have been designated as natural heritage areas. It is not as if anything would happen overnight. It would happen as part of a review of SAC blanket bogs. It would include NHAs and certain areas that have been overworked, as well as those that have been impacted on less or those that have not been impacted on at all.