Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 1410: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Question No. 329 of 15 June 2005, the adjustment which was made to the boundary of the special area of conservation; if he will report on the scientific evidence which was supplied in support of this; the reason the request was made (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25702/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The boundaries of this candidate special area of conservation were re-examined by my Department, for two reasons. The first reason was a revised national approach to the designation of marginal areas along rivers, introduced in August 2004, following an agreement with the farm organisations under Sustaining Progress. A nationwide survey to revise SAC boundaries along rivers was undertaken. The relevant section of the agreement reached with the farm organisations under Sustaining Progress reads as follows. The Department will implement a revised approach to designation of marginal areas along rivers. The revised SAC will include bank-side only to 2.5 meters from the river bank. If embankments or other features are present which will curtail direct runoff, the margin can be further reduced accordingly. Where special features are present, for example, associated wildlife habitat or floodplain, they will continue to be included.

The second reason was an objection lodged by ecological consultants in November 2004, on behalf of a landowner, in relation to the location referred to in the question. The objection was considered by my Department following standard procedures. It was assessed by staff of the national parks and wildlife service of my Department, who visited the site. They found that one relatively small field in the area under appeal did not form part of the floodplain of the Carrigower River, as it is was raised above the river by a number of metres and held no habitat of interest. It was concluded that this specific piece of land did not meet the scientific criteria for inclusion in the SAC in the first instance. This gave rise to a minor boundary adjustment, excluding less than one acre from the SAC.

In contrast, the low-lying fields beside the river which were also under appeal are being retained in the SAC as my Department's staff were satisfied that they form part of the floodplain of the Carrigower River. This means that an area about 100 metres wide is retained within the SAC here, rather than the 2.5 metre wide strip that would be justified if there was no floodplain here. The specific decisions on this appeal conform with the revised national approach to designation of marginal areas along rivers.