Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 513: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will amend the new rural housing guidelines in order to give special protection to special areas of conservation, candidate special areas of conservation, high amenity areas and unique and threatened landscapes such as the Dublin mountains. [13258/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The network of statutorily protected areas which has been established in Ireland, includes nature conservation sites of European importance, special areas of conservation and special protection areas, known collectively as European or Natura 2000 sites and sites of national importance, natural heritage areas. The statutory provisions relating to the designation and protection of these areas are supported by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and relevant planning regulations. Section 10(2)(c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a development plan shall include objectives for the conservation and protection of the environment, including, in particular, the archaeological and natural heritage and the conservation and protection of European sites and any other sites that may be prescribed for the purposes of this paragraph. Part XIII of the Act deals with amenities and makes provision, inter alia, for areas of special amenity and landscape conservation areas, while Part IV of the First Schedule to the Act also includes provision for landscape protection.

The guidelines which I have issued under section 28 of the 2000 Act, in relation to sustainable rural housing, do not affect the foregoing provisions. The guidelines point out that planning authorities must ensure that all planning applications for rural housing that involve sites in or that might affect an SAC, SPA, NHA, nature reserve, national park, refuge for fauna or flora or other areas of wildlife importance are referred to the national parks and wildlife service of my Department for comment.

The guidelines also point out that careful siting and location are central to sensitive development in the landscape, and call for planning authorities in assessing proposals to have regard to the extent to which they complement the landscape, avoid visual intrusion and help to maintain local landscape character. The guidelines call on planning authorities to have full regard to any biodiversity considerations in assessing proposals, including impacts on sites of biodiversity importance and potential cumulative impacts on biodiversity of large numbers of developments in the wider countryside.

The guidelines state that statutory designation of certain rural areas is not intended in any way to operate as an inflexible obstacle as such to housing development. The guidelines add that, in considering development proposals, including the attachment of planning conditions, in such areas, planning authorities should only consider approving proposals they are satisfied will not adversely affect the integrity of the designated area. Any such proposal must be subjected to an appropriate assessment of its implications for the area, if it is clear, on the basis of a preliminary examination, that the proposed development could have a significant effect on the area. All aspects of the proposal which could, in themselves, or in combination with other proposals, affect the area's conservation objectives should be identified.

I am satisfied that the statutory provisions in place to give special protection to areas such as those referred to in the question are adequate for their intended purpose. My Department has no proposals to amend the new rural housing guidelines.